Falls Prevention

Falls are the most common cause of injury-related hospitalization among young and elderly Canadians. First Nations people experience higher rates of falls than non-Aboriginal people in all age categories.

For First Nations people, falls rank as the greatest cause of hospital admissions for all age groups except 15-34 year olds. In this category, falls rank second, after motor vehicle-related injuries.

Falls can result in serious injuries or long-term disabilities, such as head and spinal-cord injuries.

Children
The risk of falling is highest in the first year of life and declines throughout childhood.

Children younger than five tend to suffer non-fatal falls, often from furniture. When a toddler falls they generally fall off porches, out of windows or on stairs.

As children grow older, the risk of play-related falls rises. Among school-age children, falls from playground equipment, fences and trees are common.

Elders
For elders, falls frequently occur in the home. These falls usually have serious consequences, such as hip fractures or even death.

Risk Factors

There are many factors that can increase the risk of falls. These factors can range from the health conditions of an individual to conditions within the environment. It is important to remain conscious of these risk factors to minimize the potential of a fall.

Individual Risk Factors:

• Medical conditions (such as osteoporosis);
• Physical disability;
• Physical changes due to age (such as balance, gait, or vision); and
• Reduced physical fitness or lower leg muscle strength.

Environmental Risk Factors:

• Home hazards such as clutter, loose rugs or items left on the floor;
• Poor lighting;
• Lack of hand rails on stairs or grab bars in the bathroom; and
• Uneven walking surfaces.

Other Risk Factors:

• History of a fall within the last 12 months or fear of falling again;
• Risk taking;
• Taking medications such as tranquilizers and antidepressants;
• Taking more than five prescription drugs;
• Alcohol use;
• Foot wear type; and
• Diet.

Baby Walkers and Stationary Activity Centres

Baby walkers have been banned in Canada since 2004, due to the potential of causing serious injury in children under two years of age. Stationary activity centres are a safer alternative to baby walkers, but children still require full supervision by a parent or care giver when using this type of equipment.

More information on baby walkers and stationary activity centres is available, see:

• Is Your Child Safe?;
• Baby Walkers and Stationary Activity Centres;
• Home Safety Tips - Baby Walkers; and
• Baby Walkers.

Bunk Beds

Children usually enjoy sleeping in a bunk bed. However, it is important to remember that children under age six should not sleep on the top bunk.

For more information, see:

• Is Your Child Safe? - Bunk Beds; and
• Bunk Beds.

Crib and Change Table Safety

Parents and care givers need to make sure cribs are adjusted according to the child's growth and development. For example, when a baby is first born, the mattress can be set at the highest level. As a child grows, the mattress height must be lowered so the child cannot fall out of the crib. Items such as bumper pads, pillows and stuffed animals should be removed to avoid the child from using these items to boost themselves up and out of the crib.

When changing a child on an elevated surface, including change tables, it is important for care givers to always keep one hand on the child. Babies grow and develop quickly, so even though a child could not roll over yesterday, they may be able to today!

For more information, see:

• Is Your Child Safe? - Cribs and Change Tables; and
• Crib Safety (First Nations)
  Crib Safety (Inuit); and
  Crib Safety (Inuit Inuktitut Portable Document Format version).

Safety Gates

Children are always on the move. They are constantly learning and wanting to explore their new environment. It is important to help protect young children from stairs by using hardware-mounted safety gates. Always remember that safety gates do not replace full adult supervision.

For more information, see:

• Is Your Child Safe? - Safety Gates;
• Baby Gates; and
• Home Safety Tips - Safety Gates.

Window and Furniture Safety

There have been several documented cases of children falling out of windows in North America. It is important to keep furniture away from windows as children can use it to climb up to a window. It is also important to remember that window screens are only meant to keep bugs out and do not prevent children from falling.

To help prevent children from falling out of windows, keep the windows locked or use a window stopper that only allows the window to open a little bit.

Some furniture in the home, such as bookcases, can fall over if pulled or climbed on by a child. These pieces of furniture require a strap to help hold the furniture to the wall.

Other ways to help prevent or reduce the risk of falls is to use the safety belts supplied with items such as strollers and high chairs or to purchase special covers for table corners to help cushion a fall.

Always remember that these safety products do not replace full adult supervision.

More Information on Fall Prevention

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

Some of the hyperlinks provided are to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the  Official Languages Act. The material found there is therefore in the language(s) used by the sites in question.

• Injury Prevention Fact Sheets (PDF version);
• Injuries (see baby safety);
• Healing Our Spirit see Falls Prevention Fact Sheet (PDF version);
• Falls Prevention Fact Sheet (PDF version);
• First Nations Falls Prevention: A Guide for Aboriginal Communities (PDF version);
• You Can Prevent Falls;
• Unintentional and Intentional Injury Profile for Aboriginal People in Canada and;
• Preventing Falls In and Around Your Home.