Yogi Berra, a New York Yankee and Major League Baseball legend, is safely at home recuperating from a fall the he suffered in his New Jersey home last week. His injuries were reported as cuts and bruises to the face.
After spending one night in an area hospital for some tests, the Hall of Fame catcher was back in his home by Sunday night and feeling markedly better.
Berra's health has improved enough for his spokesman, Dave Kaplan, to indicate that he plans to be at the Hall of Fame Ceremony in Cooperstown, New York this weekend.
While Berra's fall wasn't the cause of any life threatening injuries, it is important for us all to remember that we need to be there for our senior friends and family members. Caretaking is an essential part of growing old if our parents are still around - and falls in the home are a common occurrence.
It may be difficult to make your home completely safe, but preventing falls can be possible with a few of the following tips:
- Make sure those you care for have adequate calcium intake. Calcium is important for keeping bones strong and healthy, and diseases such as osteoporosis can turn a simple fall into a life threatening, painful injury.
- Weight bearing exercises will help your friends and family members, too. Again, this is less about making your home safe, and more about enabling those you care for to become stronger and more independent.
- Use color and contrast in the home. As seniors age, sight becomes an issue. Making sharp corners or low obstacles stand out is a great way to make them more easily seen.
- Check those prescriptions! Are the ones you care for wearing their glasses? Have they had an eye exam recently?
- Repairs... Thresholds indoors and cracks in walkways are the most common causes for falls in the home and around the yard. Keep these areas clear of clutter and make sure there's adequate lighting for evening and night hours.
