Protecting the Elderly from Slip and Falls
For senior citizens, slip and fall accidents can result in significant injuries that often can leave victims with long-term mobility issues.
Fractures are all too common in a typical slip and fall involving a senior citizen. These fractures may not heal quickly due to the fact that older bones tend to be more fragile and also tend to take longer to heal. This may result in a senior citizen being bedridden for weeks or even months while waiting for their bones to heal.
To complicate matters even further, if a senior citizen were to fracture their hip, which is not uncommon in Florida slip and fall accidents, there could be significant complications if surgical repair is required. Existing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension as well as cardiovascular issues not only makes surgery more difficult, in some situations it will preclude them from having surgery altogether.
The best way to avoid all of these complications is to help reduce the likelihood of a senior citizen being involved in a slip and fall accident. Issues involving vision, balance and coordination often play a role in slip and fall accidents. Addressing such conditions by making improvements to a senior citizen’s environment may be very helpful in making such accidents less likely.
One way to ensure that your elderly friends or family members that live on their own are safe is to help them retrofit their home specifically to prevent slip and fall accidents. Some ways to help include:
- Installing slip resistant flooring
- Removing obstructions
- Adding shower rails and/or grab bars in the bathroom
- Ensure any stairs have sturdy rails
These changes can help to reduce the likelihood that an elderly person will be involved in a slip and fall accident.
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If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident due to someone’s neglect, our experienced legal team may be able to help. Call Abrahamson & Uiterwyk today at 1-800-538-4878 for a free case evaluation.