Accidents involving slips and falls can be extremely serious, even more so when they involve the elderly. It’s estimated that between 30% and 40% of seniors will experience such a fall at least once every year. Our Alabama slip and fall attorneys are concerned about this high percentage and worry about those who may never recover from the injuries they sustain in such falls. Research indicates that many will have a significantly increased risk of dying the in the 12 months that follow a slip and fall accident.

Treatment for falls and associated injuries including fractures may be commonplace for those in younger age brackets, but for the elderly, treatment is much more complicated. It’s for this reason that it’s so important to work to prevent the falls from occurring in the first place.

New research seems to suggest that daily doses of vitamin D supplements could help reduce the risk of falls. The research, which was published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that a daily dose of vitamin D supplements helped reduce the risk of falls by as much as 17%.

This is not the first time that the effects of vitamin D supplements have been studied. Other research dealt with the role vitamin D plays in increasing muscle strength which has led various groups to recommend that those at risk for such falls take vitamin D supplements to help lower the chance of injury.

For instance, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has now made a recommendation concerning fall prevention which includes a suggestion that people take vitamin D supplements daily. The Preventive Services Task Force also recommends an exercise program in order to reduce the risk of falls. According to the task force, any appropriate exercise program should focus on strength training, aerobic moves, and balance exercises.

The task force also acknowledged that many accidents involving seniors happen in the home, where elderly individuals are more likely to trip over objects left lying around. One of the keys to preventing such slip and fall accidents is to make sure that walking surfaces are neat and clutter-free. All objects must be removed from the floor. Another common location for slip and fall accidents is the bathroom. Shower rails, grab bars and bath mats are a necessity in bathrooms used by seniors to help reduce the risk of slip and fall accidents.

Our Huntsville slip and fall lawyers are here to help if you or a loved one is injured in a slip and fall accident. If you or your someone in your family has been the unfortunate victim of a slip and fall accident, contact the experienced Huntsville trip and fall attorneys at Martinson & Beason, PC for a free personal injury consultation.

Source: “Prevention of Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement,” by Virginia Moyer, published atAnnalsofInternalMedicine.org.