Falls in the home are much bigger problem than you might originally think. In fact, according to the CDC, more than one out of four people aged 65 and older falls each year.

This number is too high, and there are many ways to lower the risk of falls and prevent them from happening in your home. Our AFC Urgent Care Athens, TN team provides some helpful prevention tips below, so keep reading.

• Here’s what to do: First, it’s important to stay physically active. Maintaining a routine of regular physical exercise will strengthen the body, which will lower your fall risk. It also helps keep your joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, which can improve balance.
• What to do next: Remove hazards from your home. To do this, take a look around frequently used spaces and walkways in the house. Remove loose wires and boxes, make sure rugs aren’t loose and clean up all spills quickly. The fewer hazards there are, the lower your fall risk.
• What to do after: Keep your living space well-lit. More light will help you avoid tripping. Add more lamps to your space and change burnt out light bulbs quickly.
• Another helpful tip: Wear safe footwear. What you wear on your feet in the home can play a big role in increasing your decreasing your fall risk. Floppy slippers and socks can make you slip, stumble and fall. Instead, wear properly fitting, sturdy shoes with nonskid soles or socks with rubber grips on the bottom.
• Something else to consider: Limit alcohol intake. Even a small amount of alcohol can affect your balance. Plus, studies show that the rate of hip fractures in older adults increases with alcohol use.
• One more thing to keep in mind: Get enough sleep. When you get a recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, you are less likely to fall.
• Action steps to take: If you do fall, it can cause broken bones, such as wrist, arm, ankle and hip fractures. If an area on your body is deeply bruised or swelling, you have likely broken a bone. Visit our AFC center to get X-rayed.
• Doctor recommendations: If the unfortunate happens and you do fall, make sure to call our AFC center. Among the many elderly falls, less than half tell their doctor. Telling your doctor will lower your risk of falling again.

Have questions or concerns that you or a loved one may be at risk of falling in the home? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our AFC Urgent Care Athens, TN team today.