New MetLife Mature Market Institute Publication on Falls & Fall Prevention Provides Tips for Everyone, with Focus on Those Mo...
August 23 2011 - 9:59AM
Business Wire
The MetLife Mature Market Institute has a new publication
available free to the public, The Essentials: Falls and Fall
Prevention,produced in cooperation with the National Alliance for
Caregiving.
The booklet, available at www.maturemarketinstitute.com provides
information on the risk factors for falls and contains a number of
tips that individuals can engage to help themselves and their loved
ones avoid falls. Most falls are not age-related and many can be
prevented, but age often plays a role in the type of fall or
injury.
“Accidental falls cause the majority of injury-related visits to
the emergency room in the U.S. and they’re the leading cause of
accidental death in people over the age of 65,” said Sandra
Timmermann, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute.
“In children, falls are the most common cause of injury visits to
the hospital, accounting for two million such trips each year.”
For elders, the publication stresses the importance of taking
care of vision, hearing and other health-related issues. As people
age they are more likely to have chronic illnesses that increase
the chance of falls and they may be taking multiple medications
whose side effects may cause unsteadiness. It is important for
individuals and their family members to notify their doctors of
changes that could lead to risk for falls.
Environmental hazards are particularly dangerous and are the
easiest to safeguard against. Elders and their loved ones should
ensure the following, to assist with elder fall-prevention
efforts:
- Keep their homes well lit and free of
clutter.
- Fix loose carpeting, uneven flooring
and unsafe outdoor walkways.
- Make sure stairways have railings, that
bathtubs and showers have grab bars and that furniture is neither
too high, nor too low to negotiate safely.
- Wear proper shoes and the right
eyeglasses.
- Avoiding alcohol.
- Move cautiously, rather than
suddenly.
For children, the guide suggests that parents maintain close
supervision, especially as toddlers try new skills like standing,
climbing and jumping.
- Parents are advised to help children
avoid some of the most common dangers, such as open windows,
stairways and sharp edges on furniture.
- Certain products, like baby walkers,
should not be used as they have been known to cause more injuries
than any other nursery product for children between the ages of
five and 15 months old.
- All children’s equipment should meet
safety standards and parents should read instructions associated
with cribs, mattresses and bumper pads.
The Essentials: Falls and Fall Prevention provides information
from sources including: AARP, Dynamic Living, Fall Prevention
Center of Excellence, the National Center for Injury Prevention and
Control, the National Safety Council, Temple University’s Fall
Prevention Project and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
The Essentials: Falls and Fall Prevention may be downloaded from
www.MatureMarketInstitute.com. The publication can also be ordered
through Contact Us on the MetLife Mature Market Institute Web site,
or by writing to: MetLife Mature Market Institute, 57 Greens Farms
Road, Westport, CT 06880 or MatureMarketInstitute@metlife.com.
National Alliance for Caregiving
Established in 1996, the National Alliance for Caregiving is a
nonprofit coalition of national organizations that focuses on
issues of family caregiving across the life span. The Alliance was
created to conduct research, do policy analysis, develop national
programs, and increase public awareness of family caregiving
issues. http://www.caregiving.org
The MetLife Mature Market Institute®
The MetLife Mature Market Institute is MetLife’s center of
expertise in aging, longevity and the generations and is a
recognized thought leader by business, the media, opinion leaders
and the public. The Institute’s groundbreaking research, insights,
strategic partnerships and consumer education expand the knowledge
and choices for those in, approaching or working with the mature
market.
The Institute supports MetLife’s long-standing commitment to
identifying emerging issues and innovative solutions for the
challenges of life. MetLife, Inc. is a leading global provider of
insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90
million customers in over 60 countries. Through its subsidiaries
and affiliates, MetLife holds leading market positions in the
United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the
Middle East. For more information, please visit:
www.MatureMarketInstitute.com.
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