Did you know falls are the most common cause of death among citizens of a certain age?
De-cluttering a home could help reduce potentially fatal falls reckons ROSPA, who are advising all homeowners to re-assess their homes with a view to making homes safer by identifying potential trip areas. It's not just the elderly - everyone is at risk from a serious or life threatening injury as a result of tripping over. Whether that's an uneven step, loose carpets or rugs or even children's toys.
Many families employ a domestic cleaning service to look after elderly relatives living on their own. Part of their cleaning routine should be to ensure there are no trip hazards.
ROSPA say your trip assessment shouldn't be confined to just inside the house either. Consider the outside too - particularly pathways that may be uneven or cracked. Clearing slippery moss from a pathway is just one example of a small step that can make a big difference.
Age UK research revealed that 270,000 falls were caused by the poor vision of a person over the age of 60 in the past two years alone, further highlighting the importance of de-cluttering and removing small objects, or attending to loose furnishings, that could cause someone to trip and fall.
This article first appeared in our weekly homeowner newsletter dated 27th June 2011. Click here to read the full newsletter.
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photo credit: julie vazquez
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