One of the biggest dangers threatening seniors, especially if they live alone is the risk of fall. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) every year, millions of adults, aged 65 and older suffer a fall injury or a fall related death. These falls can result in hip fractures , dangerous bleedings, head traumas and many more injuries that are deadly to the elderly. This is especially important to the upper Manhattan community, which has a relatively high percentage of elderly in the community.

The reason seniors are at most danger of injuries due to falling and slips, either because of their medical condition or the medicine that they are taking.

Many seniors take a lot of medications for their health conditions that can cause drowsiness and so a greater chance of falling. Also, many medications like blood thinners can cause extreme bleeding if a person a falls.

There are many things we can do to protect our elderly loved ones from falls:

• Have a caregiver or family member present at all times
• Take medications that cause drowsiness towards bedtime to avoid falls
• Keep living area clean and organized, free of clutter and rugs to fall over
• Avoid living areas with stairs to avoid possible falls

By following some these tips and giving special care and attention to our elders, we can make sure they are safe from slips or falls.

Visit the CDC website for more information on falls in older adults HERE.