Prevent Accidents

Accidents are constantly on the prowl. They lurk in a loose throw rug waiting for someone to slip or in a stray telephone cord looking for someone to trip. They roam the highways hoping to transform a missed turn signal or blown stop sign into a smashup worthy of the 10 o’clock news. Or at least it can seem that way.

No, accidents aren’t out to get you. But they seldom “just happen,” either, and many can be prevented.

In fact, accidents of all kinds become more common as people reach their sixties, seventies, and eighties, says Jan I. Maby, D.O., director of the Geriatric Medical Home Care program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. As you get older, it becomes a little bit harder for you to hit the brakes quickly or stop yourself from falling.

Preventing accidents will take a bit more foresight than it did when you were younger. But you can do it. Here’s how.

Stay Safe in the Driver’s Seat

Driving is freedom. Driving is self-reliance. Driving is the American way. But driving is also one of the most dangerous activities an older person does, Dr. Maby says.

Traffic accidents injure 139,000 and kill more than 7,600 Americans over age 65 each year, according to the National Safety Council. Crashes are the leading cause of accidental deaths among people 65 to 74 and the second most common cause of these deaths (falls are first) after age 75.

In fact, for every mile behind the wheel, a typical 75-year-old is four times more likely to be involved in a fatal traffic accident than other American drivers.

But there’s no reason that you can’t be among the safest of the 24.8 million drivers over 65 who are still on the road, says Michael Seaton, manager of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) 55 ALIVE/Mature Driving program in Washington, D.C. Here are a few reminders that, he says, can help you safely get where you are going.

• The driver’s seat is hardly the best place for you to daydream. Don’t drive when you’re upset, depressed, angry, drowsy, or not feeling well.

• Back pain, neck pain, and arthritis all can contribute to fatigue, which can make you less safety conscious. When traveling, take frequent breaks to stretch and walk around.

• Medium-size cars may be better for older drivers. In smaller cars, the drivers sit lower and can’t see out of the vehicle as well. Power steering and brakes, automatic transmission, and adjustable seats and steering wheel can all cut driver fatigue.

• Wear your seat belt. When used, lap and shoulder safety belts slash the risk of serious injury or death nearly in half, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.

• Keep a three-second safety cushion between you and the car in front of you. As you’re driving along, notice a tree or other stationary object along the roadside. Once the rear of the car ahead passes the object, you should be able to count “one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three” before reaching the same point.

• Plan your route before you start out. You need to concentrate on driving rather than on navigating. If you’re headed someplace unfamiliar, ask a passenger to navigate for you.

• Watch out for left turns. Seventeen percent of accidents among older drivers involve left-hand turns, compared to 11 percent among younger drivers. To avoid a left turn at a traffic light, go a block beyond your turn, then turn right around the block until you cross the intersection. For safety’s sake, you will be making three right turns instead of one left turn.

• If you will be taking an unfamiliar route at night, try to make a trial run in daylight.

• Look down the road far enough ahead to get a big picture of what’s ahead. Heed what passengers are saying. They may spot a problem before you do.

• Check your mirrors frequently. There is a tendency to focus on what’s going on ahead of us. Traffic, however, comes from all directions.

Fall-Proofing the World around You

About 40 percent of people over age 65 fall each year. In most cases, these falls just cause minor bruises, scrapes, and a bit of embarrassment. But up to 1 in 10 falls among seniors leads to broken bones and other serious injuries that can result in permanent disability, social isolation, and the loss of the ability to live independently, Dr. Maby says. Falls are the second leading cause of all accidental deaths in the United States and the leading cause of accidental death in people over age 75.

Even if a fall doesn’t cause serious harm, it can shatter your self-confidence, according to Dr. Maby. In fact, up to 25 percent of seniors who have fallen report that they avoid certain daily tasks like shopping or housekeeping, because they fear falling again. Ironically, without these activities, muscle and bone can gradually weaken and you can actually become more prone to falling.

Another reason that falls become more likely as you age is that your sense of balance declines and your reaction time slows. Arthritis, cataracts, and other diseases that affect your ability to see, hear, or move also can make you more susceptible to falls, Dr. Maby says. In addition, sedatives, diuretics, high blood pressure medication, and other drugs can make you feel wobbly.

Since three out of every four falls involving seniors occur at home, Dr. Maby offers some suggestions to reduce the risk of taking a tumble there.

Throughout the House

• Avoid wearing open-backed shoes or sandals, which make you shuffle and make it difficult to maneuver, especially on stairs.

• Keep telephone and electrical cords tucked out of the way so you won’t trip on them. If possible, tack them up over doorways.

• Make sure your home is lit brightly enough that there are no shadowy areas and you can always see where you are going.

• Place night-lights throughout the house, especially on stairways and along the route you take from the bedroom to the bathroom. Install illuminated light switches in the area that you frequently use at night.

• Get rid of all throw rugs in your home. They’re a major cause of household falls.

• Remove any clutter, including excess furniture that could cause a fall.

• When you are sitting, keep a telephone within arm’s reach so if it rings, you won’t have to rush across the room. A cordless phone may be your best bet because you can carry it with you from room to room.

• As you walk through your home, evaluate the furniture you lean on for support. Avoid putting weight on pedestal tables, items on wheels, or other furniture that cannot withstand much weight.

Kitchen

• Use a step stool if you need something that’s on a high shelf, or consider moving items to a lower shelf where you can reach them easier.

• Clean up all spills as soon as possible to prevent slipping.

• Stay off freshly waxed floors until they are thoroughly dry.

Bathroom

• Install nonskid strips or use a rubber mat on the floor of the tub and shower.

• Install grab bars beside the toilet and around the bathtub to help balance yourself. Avoid using towel bars for support. They simply aren’t designed to withstand heavy pressure.

• Use nonskid mats, adhesive nonskid strips, or carpet in areas that may get wet.

• If you have difficulty getting in and out of the bathtub, consider installing a shower seat and a portable, hand-held showerhead to let you sit while showering.

Bedroom

• Place a light source within easy reach of your bed. A flashlight may be helpful.

• If you like to wear long pajamas or a nightgown, make sure your sleepwear is short enough that you won’t trip over it.

• Be sure to have a telephone that you can reach from your bed without having to scramble for it in the dark.

Stairways

• Install handrails on both sides of all stairs.

• If possible, apply brightly colored tape on the top and bottom steps so it’s easier for you to see where the steps begin and end.

• Install nonskid strips on all steps.

• Make sure all carpet edges are tacked down securely.

• Put light switches at both the top and bottom of the stairwell.

Outside the Home

• Wear low-heeled, rubber-soled shoes to prevent slips and falls.

• Use a cane or walking stick to keep your balance on uneven or unfamiliar ground. Be especially wary on wet or icy pavement.

• Like medication, assistance devices come in various forms and sizes. Never use a friend’s cane. An improperly issued assistance device can do more harm than good. Although you can purchase such equipment without a prescription, see a physiatrist or trained primary-care physician for proper sizing and instruction.

• Remove loose rocks, boards, and other tripping hazards from your yard and walkways. Fill in any holes in your lawn. Put away gardening tools and hoses when they’re not in use.

• Make sure your walkways are shoveled and cleared of ice and snow in the winter to prevent slips and falls. If possible, use salt or an ice-melting product to keep surfaces clear of slippery ice.

Fire-Proof Your House

Americans over age 65 account for one in four fire-related deaths each year. In fact, people over age 65 are twice as likely to die in fires as any other age group, says Sharon Gamache, executive director of the National Fire Protection Association’s Center for High Risk Outreach in Quincy, Massachusetts.

But seniors can do plenty to prevent household fires and survive one if disaster strikes, Gamache says. Here are a few pointers.

• Install smoke alarms outside all sleeping areas on each floor of your home, including basements and bedrooms. If you have hearing problems, get smoke alarms that are specially designed for people with severe hearing impairments. These trigger a strobe light or sound with an extra-loud alarm.

• Test your smoke alarm once a month by pushing the test button. Change batteries on the same days each year that you change your clocks and whenever the detector is “chirping” or signaling in some other way to indicate that the battery is low.

• Plan two escape routes out of each room. If a fire starts, smoke or flames may block your primary way out, forcing you to use an alternate escape route.

• Windows should open fully and easily to allow you to escape. Make sure there is no furniture or clutter in the way that might obstruct your exit. If you have security bars on your windows, they should be equipped with quick-release devices that every person in your house can operate.

• If you have difficulty using stairways, sleep on the first floor. Never use elevators during a fire.

• If you live in an apartment building, count the number of doorways between your apartment and the two nearest exits.

• Keep portable space heaters at least three feet from everything—including you. Just brushing up against one could set your clothing on fire.

• If you smoke, use large, deep nontip ashtrays. Empty your ashtrays often, wetting the contents before dumping them into wastebaskets. Never smoke in bed.

• Sleeping with your bedroom door closed will provide you with extra minutes of protection from smoke, toxic fumes, and fire. (If you do sleep with the door closed, make sure you can hear the smoke alarms from inside your room.) For added protection, install a smoke alarm in your room.

• Never leave cooking unattended. Use oven mitts and wear tight-fitting, short-sleeved shirts or rolled-up sleeves when you cook.

• Use a timer to remind you to turn off stove burners and the oven.

• Don’t cook if you’ve been drinking alcohol or are taking medication that makes you drowsy.