by Jennifer Bajaj, M.D.
Falls are one of the main causes of injury, disability and even death among older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of three adults ages 65 and older falls each year. From a business perspective, as employees age, the costs of any falls they experience on the job increase both monetarily and in the number of work days missed.
One single fall, whether it’s a construction worker slipping off a roof or an employee missing a step and falling down the stairs while typing on the phone, can cost a company as much as $1 million.
Falls are preventable though and the behaviors employees practice at home directly impact how they are able to perform at work. I offer several tips to my patients as they get older to prevent falls at home and at work:
• Wear proper footwear. This can actually reduce falls by as much as 40-50%. Condition appropriate footwear should be worn at all times such as slip resistant soles on smooth and wet surfaces.
• Keep floors clean and dry. Clean up spills immediately. Use no-skid waxes on surfaces coated with grit to create non-slip areas in bathrooms.
• Exercise. Get your regular exercise in to increase leg and core strength and improve balance. Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, walking and swimming are all good options to consider.
• Visit Your Doctor. Make sure to schedule vision and hearing checks when noticeable changes occur.
Following these simple precautions can result in fewer costly falls and a safer workplace and home life for aging adults. For more information on fall prevention and some home safety tips, visit youtube.com and search for our preventing falls modules.
Jennifer Bajaj, M.D., is an internal medicine physician practicing at Kaiser Permanente’s East Medical Offices in Aurora.