SATURDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDayNews) -- If you're an older adult, the New York-Presbyterian Hospital has these tips on how you can have a safe and healthy winter:

  • Get a flu shot if it's available in your area. Flu season runs from mid-October to mid-March. Flu can be fatal to older adults.
  • Ask your doctor about a vaccine that protects against pneumonia.
  • Check the lighting in your home. Make sure there are no major lighting contrasts from one room to another, because older people have difficulty adjusting to changes in light. High contrasts in lighting can increase the risk of slips and falls. Use night lights. Tape extension cords to the floor so they're not loose.
  • Check your rugs and make sure they're not wrinkled or torn, which could pose a tripping hazard. Place padding or special tape under rugs to prevent them from sliding.
  • Place anti-slip mats inside and outside your bathtub. Grab bars inside the tub are a good idea. Always check the temperature of the water before you get into the tub.
  • Keep exercising -- indoors if possible. But avoid strenuous exercise such as shoveling snow.
  • Maintain a healthy diet and drink at least four or five glasses of water a day.
  • Make sure your smoke alarms are working. If you live in your own house, rather than an apartment, you should also have carbon monoxide alarms.
  • Wear proper footwear. Comfortable shoes with anti-slip soles will help you get around on icy streets.
  • You should have a programmable phone with emergency numbers entered. A personal emergency response system is a good idea. These devices, worn around the neck or on a bracelet, let you summon help. Wear the device all the time.

More information

The U.S. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control has more about older adults and injuries.



-- Robert Preidt



SOURCE: New York-Presbyterian Hospital, news release, December 2004

Last Updated: Dec-04-2004