Free Inspection Service Protects Elderly Victorians from Costly Winter Slip and Trip Hazards

Archicentre

Free Inspection Service Protects Elderly Victorians from Costly
Winter Slip and Trip Hazards


Annually in Victoria there are approximately 250 fall-related deaths, 12,000 fall-related hospital admissions and at least 12,000 hospital emergency department presentations for fall injuries in the age group 65+ years. * (Source: Monash University Accident Research Centre).

David Hallett, Victorian State Manager of Archicentre said the danger increases in winter with damp slippery steps, shortened daylight hours and the increased use of electric radiators with cords - a major trip hazard, as older persons try to stay warm in winter.

From 40,000 Archicentre Home Safety Inspections conducted in Victoria, 1 in 4 homes had trip hazards and 1 in 5 homes had electrical faults. Approximately 50 Home Safety Inspections per week are carried out in conjunction with Occupational Therapists for people who have already suffered an injury.

Archicentre, which manages the Home Renovation Service for older Victorians funded by the Victorian Government, through the Department of Human Services is urging Victorians to utilise the free home inspections funded by the Victorian Government. This could help them identify and address any potential hazards.

There are more than 930,000 Victorians aged 70 years or over and this number will reach 1.6 million over the next 20 years. This will further increase the need to monitor safety hazards in the home.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the direct cost to the nation's health system to help people aged 65 years and over recover from falls was $566 million. It costs $555 a day to keep an older person in a Victorian hospital. The lifetime cost of fall injuries for Victorians aged 65 years and older is estimated at $199.3 million annually.

Mr Hallett said environmental risk factors contributing to falls are slippery surfaces and uneven floors, poor lighting, poorly designed steps and stairs and lack of grab rails, and also hard surfaces causing injury on landing. But protruding door thresholds, loose rugs and carpet runners can also be hazardous, as well as tangled power and telephone cords.

Behavioural factors such as undertaking cleaning, DIY projects and gardening tasks on ladders, stepladders, chairs and tables and wearing unsuitable footwear increase the risk of falls in older men and women.* (Source: Monash University Accident Research Centre).

Mr Hallett said unfortunately falls in the home can also lead to the loss of independence of seniors. For those seniors the injuries sustained as a result of a fall can mean home modifications as well as sometimes an inability to return to their homes because the injuries are so severe.

Mr Hallett said that older Victorians or their children who are concerned about their safety can organise a free home safety inspection funded by the Victorian Government to identify and provide a plan to fix danger spots in the home.
Archicentre's Tips on Fall Prevention:
•     A flat, accessible site is ideal for older residents who gradually lose mobility or balance and risk injury, whilst attempting to negotiate uneven paving or steps.
•     Weather protection between the garage and house will help reduce risks, such as carrying groceries in the rain over wet, slippery surfaces.
•     Interior colour schemes with good contrast helps people with diminishing eyesight identify doors, entranceways, and changed surface conditions.
•     Extra power points eliminate the tangle of loose extension leads that can cause unexpected falls.
•     Impact-absorbent floor surfaces to reduce potential falls.
•     Level entry showers.
•     Grab rails in the bathroom for the shower and toilet, and at front and rear steps.
•     Replacement of worn, torn or loose carpet.
•     Reflective or brightly coloured space strips on stairs.
•     Sensor lights to external areas.

The Home Inspection Service will assess the house by checking the requirements of grab rails, flooring - slip issues, paths - tripping, ramps, taps and hot water issues.

The FREE Home Safety Inspections are funded by the Victorian Government through the Department of Human Services (DHS) for aged pensioners, veterans' affairs card holders and disabled persons. To access the service telephone (03) 9815 1900 or 1300 136 513.
How serious is the problem?*

Among older Victorians (aged 65 years and over):
•     One in three experience at least one fall each year.
•     Falls are the leading cause of injury related deaths, hospital admissions and emergency department presentations in older people.
•     Falls most commonly occur in the home.
•     Women account for the majority of fall-related deaths, admissions and emergency department presentations.
•     Fractures account for 80% of fall related deaths, one half of hospital admissions and two thirds of emergency department presentations.
•     The most common site of fractures is the hip, followed by the wrist and forearm. Fifteen percent of women and six percent of men will suffer a hip fracture during their lifetime. The probability of permanent admission to an aged care institution for community living older people who fracture their hips is twenty-eight percent in the year after fracture.

Falls can result in loss of confidence and independence and therefore significantly reduce an older person's quality of life.
•     The lifetime cost of fall injuries for Victorians aged 65 years and older is estimated at $199.3 million including direct medical treatment costs ($127.1 million) and indirect morbidity and mortality costs ($72.1 million).
•      As the Victorian population ages, health care costs associated with treatment, rehabilitation and care of older falls patients is expected to blow out.


* Source 'Facts on Falls Among Seniors' - Monash University Accident Research Centre 2005
www.archicentre.com.au
Media Enquiries:
David Hallett, Victorian State Manager Archicentre (03) 9819 4577 Mobile: 0439 439 115
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications Archicentre (03) 9818 5700 Mobile: 0417 329 201