Have you fallen in your house?

It can be a scary thing. There can be broken bones, bruises, or if you are lucky, just a bruised ego. But even the mildest of falls can still have long-term effects; it may cause you to become fearful of falling again. When that happens, you become less active and stick closer to your chair. Without keeping yourself moving, you get weaker. You can tell where this is headed.

The weaker you get, the more likely you are to fall again.

Many seniors want to stay in their house as long as possible
The best way to stay in your house is to make it safer. Stay ahead of the game.

Walkways should be completely clear of clutter. Add in some night lights for those regular trips to the bathroom. Do you have piles of things on your steps for when you are going up and down? Stop doing that. Instead, put a kitchen chair near the doorway and set items there. Then actually take them when you go.

Thirty percent of falls happen in the living room. It is where we relax our guard and pay less attention to what we are doing. Scatter rugs become a tripping hazard as we get less mobile. It is time to clear them out. Is there extra furniture that just needs to go away? Clear it out. Coffee tables might be a thing of the past. They usually hold a lot of clutter and are an obstacle for walkers, canes, and visitors.

Look around your house. Every place where there are steps, there should be a stable grab bar, including at your garage and outside your front door. In the bathroom, there should be a grab bars for getting out of the tub. You should grab it every time you step in or out. It isn’t to grab as you are falling; it is to keep you from falling in the first place. A towel bar is not a grab bar.

If you can’t take on those projects yourself, now you have a helper.

Rebuilding Together Fox Valley has received a generous grant from the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region.

Their goal is to help all seniors stay in their homes longer. Through this grant, they can install specific safety features in your home:
• Grab bars
• Bathtub transfer benches
• Anti-slip adhesives in bathtubs
• Toilet seat risers
• Night lights

It is free of charge for seniors in Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet, and Waupaca Counties. You must own and live in your own home. They cannot serve apartments, duplexes, or mobile homes.

If they determine that you have more needs, and you are a low-income household, they can do repairs to your house that help make it more accessible and healthier.

Find out if you can get help now by calling 920-730-2156 or emailing at contact@rtfv.org

Rebuilding Together Fox Valley wants to make safe homes and safe communities for everyone.

Give them a call. Do what it takes to be safe in your home.