Florida Injury Prevention Programs for Seniors (FLIPS)

1
Florida Injury Prevention Programs for Seniors
(FLIPS)

• Falls Prevention,
• Fire Safety, and
• Poison, Medication, Food Safety

2
The FactsAre Falls Really A Problem?

• 1 in 3 seniors fall each year.
• Those who have fallen once have a greater chance
  of falling later.
• In 1999, 21,000 seniors in Florida were
  hospitalized due to hip fractures from falls.
• Indirect costs loss of independence and
  decreased quality of life.

3
Lifestyle BehaviorsBalance

• You need good vision to help stabilize you.
• Your feet must be able to feel the ground.
• Exercise and strength training
• Appropriate footwear
• Talk to your doctor about medications that make
  you dizzy.

4
Lifestyle BehaviorsExercise Nutrition

• 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week (2
  miles of brisk walking or dancing)
• Eat the right foods and get plenty of calcium and
  vitamin D
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid alcoholic beverages

5
Lifestyle BehaviorsConfident Attitude

• Downward Cycle of Fear
• move slower/ avoid movements
• decreased strength and endurance

• What YOU CAN do
• improve balance
• ask for help or use helpful devices when
  necessary
• stay active

6
Home Fall Hazards

• Clear walkways of
• cords and hoses
• throw rugs
• pets
• clutter
• Increase lighting
• Add rails to stairways
• Need porch railings
• Clean wet floors

7
Taking Charge!

• Talk to your doctor about
• dizziness, especially with regards to
  medications.
• chronic diseases such as Arthritis, Diabetes,
  Osteoporosis.
• starting an exercising program etc.
• See a Physical Therapist about
• improving you balance and strength.
• walking with assistive devices like canes.
• See an Occupational Therapist about
• home safety.
• for special needs or assistive device use like
  reachers.
• See an eye doctor for a yearly eye exam.

8
Empower Yourself!

• Exercise
• Stay physically and mentally active
• Eat well
• Drink lots of water
• Do not let fear stop you!

9
Basic Fire Dynamics

• It takes three components to make a fire
• heat
• fuel
• oxygen

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Fire Hazards That Affect YOU

• Cooking accidents
• Unsafe smoking
• Heating equipment
• Faulty wiring

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Home Fire HazardsEliminate Them!

• Conduct a home safety survey
• Exterior hazards
• lighting, shrubbery, visible house numbers, etc.
• Interior hazards
• survey each room of the house

12
Home Fire HazardsThe Kitchen

• The most dangerous room
• Check cords on electrical appliances
• replace frayed or worn cords
• unplug appliances when not in use
• Use safe cooking practices
• never leave cooking unattended
• pot handles/covers/microwaves
• no storage in ovens
• Fire Extinguisher

13
Home Fire HazardsSafety Devices

• Early warning devices
• smoke alarms/heat detectors Check monthly and
  change the batteries 2 times a year.
• carbon monoxide (CO) detectors In a fire, most
  people die from CO poisoning.
• Safety Measures
• residential sprinklers
• fire resistive clothing/upholstery
• lifeline alerts

14
Home Fire HazardsEscape Plan Exit Drills In The
Home (E.D.I.T.H.)

• Know two ways out of each room.
• Designate a meeting place outside.
• Discuss what to do about pets.
• Have a chain ladder for 2 story homes.
• Practice it!

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The Fire PlanWhat To Do In The Event of a Fire

• Get low and go
• Get out fast
• Once out, stay out
• Call 9-1-1 from a neighbors house
• If burned, run cold water over the burn.
• Dont use home remedies like butter.

9-1-1
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Prevention Education

• Why do seniors need to know about poison safety?
• To protect themselves.
• Most common poisons for Florida Seniors are
  medications, household poisons, food poisoning.
• To protect their loved ones.

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Causes of Medication Poisoning

• Interactions from multiple prescription drugs
• Over-the-counter or herbal drug interactions
• Taking another persons drugs
• Vision or reading difficulties
• Sensitivity to drugs due to allergies, poor
  kidney or liver function, concurrent illnesses
• No system to remember medication doses like a
  pill box
• Self-adjusting drug dosages

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Safe Medication Principles

• Keep a list of all current drugs in your wallet.
• Keep your drugs in a separate place from drugs
  belonging to other family members.
• Take medicine in a well-lighted area.
• Ask for clear instructions on all new drugs.
• Record possible problems with your drugs and tell
  your physician.
• Children may be at greater risk of
  medication poisoning, when they are with
  their grandparents. So keep medications
  out of reach.

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Causes of Household Poisonings

• Look-alikes
• Storing non-food items next to food
• Storing chemicals in drink bottles
• Mixing cleaners
• Using cleaners without gloves or ventilation
• Leaving poisons in easy reach
• Child-resistant containers or latches not in use
• Storing water in any other containers other than
  water containers

20
Safe Product Usage

• Store in original container
• Store in a secured location
• Store poisons away from food
• Child resistant containers or cabinet latches
• Follow directions when using products
• Rinse dry when adding a second cleaner

21
Food Safety

• Wash hands using lots of friction
• Wwarm
• Aand
• Ssoapy
• Hhappy birthday
• Wash dishes and utensils after contact
  with raw meat or eggs.
• Sanitize food preparation surfaces monthly with
  bleach water let air-dry.
• Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.

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The Poison Center Hotline[phone]

• Provides advice after poisoning .
• Provides advice after poisoning.
• Answers question to help prevent poisonings.
• Most poisonings can be managed at home with the
  help of the Poison Control Center.
• Free, confidential service
• 24 hours a day, 7 days a week