Reasons to Celebrate Falls Prevention Awareness Week

Falls Prevention Awareness Week starts it's annual week of observation on 9/22/17. Nearly a decade old, it was created out of a desire to spread the word that falls are a leading cause of injury and/or death among senior citizens. The most important message, however, is that most of the causes of falls are preventable! 

Of course, tripping and falls happen to everyone. It's just gets more common as the body ages, vision dims, and reflexes slows down. A variety of ways help prevent spills in the yard, the tub, and the mall (to name a few places).

Visible signs demonstrate a danger of falling that is understood no matter what language a person speaks.

Beautiful view in Germany, from Wikimedia Commons

Fading vision and poor lighting add to the risk of tripping. Research sites such as AARP and your local utility company for suggestions about improving visibility. Find out if your community is having any workshops or fairs to provide guidelines. And if they aren't, find out why not? With luck, we will all reach that Golden Goal and have it be a better way of life with less hazards.

Beware of pets sleeping around the yard when you're focused on another task. The same applies to bikes, skateboards, and garden tools that aren't put away.

Warning signs help identify tripping and falling places. 

Take a walk around the house and yard to discover potential danger and take action to correct it or keep people and pets out.

Happy Falls Prevention Awareness Week!

Does your community observe this event?