Clipping of news on Brazilian Culture, Law and Citizenship
06.10.2015
This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.
transparent image
Falls at home can cause fractures and often premature death. Check out practical suggestions for a safer home
The age comes to all and with it, the weakness, loss of reflexes and the natural weakening of the bones and muscles. As the population ages, it increases the risk of accidents in the home. Data from the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology show that 30% of seniors fall at least once a year. In addition, in Brazil, falls are responsible for 70% of accidental deaths in people aged 75 years or more. However, a few simple initiatives on a daily basis can avoid this kind of problem.
For the orthopedist and traumatologist Network Hospitals St. Camillus de São Paulo, Fernando Baldy dos Reis, avoid falling is always the best. "Prepare every room in the home for the aged person is the best way to ensure independence and reduce by 50% the exposure of elderly to the risk of accidents, often banal, but they can cause big problems," explains the expert.
World Health Organization studies show that in a few years, half the world's population will be over 50 years. Diseases such as osteoporosis, silently arriving after that age, can compromise bone density and ease that one in three women suffer fractures caused by falls at home.
Among the elderly who fall each year, 5% to 10% of these have as a consequence severe injuries such as fracture, head trauma and serious lacerations, which reduce the mobility and independence. "The main consequences are functional impotence member and the inability to walk, especially in the femoral fractures, requiring surgical treatment 24-48 hours after the fall, depending on the clinical condition of the patient," says orthopedic surgeon.
A project of the Brazilian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology (SBOT), which had the participation of Dr. Fernando Baldy dos Reis, shows some practical suggestions for safe home. Check.
Some changes at home can reduce by 50% accidents with elderly (Reuters)
Rooms
- The bed must be low, allowing the person to put your feet on the ground when seated;
- The bedside table must be fixed on the ground, if you need to rely on it to lift;
- Cordless phone numbers and aid should always be on the bedside table, and touch lamp for easy lighting.
Toilets
- Security bars fixed with bushings;
- The bathroom must have circulation space for two people to help them help the elderly;
- Access doors must be open to the outside;
- Box and non-slip floors;
- The seat for bathing should be fixed and 0.46 m above the floor;
- Rubber mats with suction cups inside and outside the box;
- Replace the bar soap at the net.
Living room and dining
- Walls in light colors;
- Sofas and comfortable chairs with an average height of 0.50 m and an average depth of 0.70 to 0.80m with arms;
- The seats should not be too soft, as difficult at the moment to lift;
- Chairs should have armrest and high back;
- The tables should have rounded edges and without carpet underneath.
Kitchen and service area
- Keep sink and bench at the same time the stove;
- Installation easy handling faucets, 1/2 turn;
- Cabinets not very high, with objects used in the lower parts;
- Grab bars installed in secure locations;
- Stove with control buttons on the front;
- Wheeled carts help move kitchen utensils to other rooms of the house;
- Cups, plates and bottles should preferably be of plastic or metal.
Overall, one should avoid rugs and loose threads, heavy curtains and slippery floors. Switches must be close to the entrances and exits of environments to facilitate rapid lighting. Moreover, he warned about the importance of exercise and a diet rich in calcium to strengthen bone mass.
Source: Journal of the Coast
To access the site's Daily Coastline, click here.
Our news are taken in full of our partner sites. For this reason, we can not change their content even in cases of typographical errors.
transparent image
This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.