Fall prevention, fall protection… Is there much of a difference? You’ll often hear both phrases used interchangeably – typically while describing the overall fall protection industry. These two key phrases are sometimes used in a mutually exclusive sense within the caregiving industry too, which is a bit mind blowing because they simply aren’t the same thing at all.
Part of the problem is that fall protection can be referred to as “any equipment, device or system that prevents a person from falling from an elevation or mitigates the effect of such a fall.” They lump these two separate safety terms into one, probably confusing almost everyone who attempts to pin-point the significance to each.
It’s just a few letters changed out in the words, but those few letters change the subject drastically. Understanding the importance of both individual topics mean two entirely different things, particularly when discussing fall prevention within the caregiving sense.
So this then begs the question, what are fall protection and fall prevention products?
Fall Protection Products
What are fall protection products?
The key distinction between the two types of products is fairly self-explanatory. Indeed, fall protection ‘protects’ seniors AFTER a fall, whereas fall prevention products attempt to prevent the fall from ever occurring at all.
Sometimes, despite all of your precautions, falls still happen. Being prepared can help reduce your risk of injury. There are a multitude of fall protection on the marketplace, for example a padded fall mat is a typical protection method that provides cushioning in case an elderly senior accidentally rolls out of bed or falls while getting in or out of bed.
Moreover, another padded protection option are the likes of hip protectors, like the Posey Hipsters. Over 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling, but hip protectors can help cushion boney areas to protect them and reduce your risk of injury. Call buttons are another example of protection methods employed within the care home facility, but more so for those seniors aging in place, as they enable those vulnerable individuals to call for help when they have endured a nasty fall, alarming emergency services to respond quickly and send out doctors to take care of them (for more information read our ‘glitch with call button blog).
While fall protection tools are vital for many seniors who have endured a fall that could be potentially life-threatening, the type of product Val-U-Care produces are high-quality systems that attempt to safeguard seniors from a fall ever occurring; a fall PREVENTION tool.
We explain this below.
Fall Prevention Tools
What are fall prevention tools?
By definition – and in contrast to a fall protection system – A fall prevention device is any equipment that is designed to help prevent a fall.
Indeed, “Every second of every day in the United States an older adult falls, making falls the number one cause of injuries and deaths from injury among older Americans,”. These fall PREVENTION methods are designed with the sole objective of helping to stop a fall from ever occurring, safeguarding seniors from physiological, psychological and financial hardships, should a fall occur.
Given the ever increasing aging population who are living longer, there is a strong likelihood that falls will increase unless we make a serious commitment to providing effective fall prevention programs. Fortunately, the opportunity to help reduce falls among older adults has never been better, because research has demonstrated that falls should not be considered a normal part of aging and can be prevented. Today, there are effective fall prevention programs available on the marketplace, like the type of products we sell here at Val-U-Care, which can be used in both commercial as well as domestic settings. By offering these programs in our communities, we can reduce falls and help older adults maintain their health and stay in their homes.
When using a nurse call system, when a senior is attempting to get out of bed, a signal is sent through the nurse call system alerting the caregiver, that an at risk patient needs assistance.
Val-U-Care specializes in Fall Prevention and Anti-Wandering Alarm products and have a wide variety of early alert systems to notify a caregiver that someone needs assistance. Bed pads and chair pads are used to notify the caregiver that a person is on the move or about to be on their feet. Call buttons are for an individual that will call for help when they need assistance. Our products give caregivers that peace of mind that their patients or loved ones are being cared for when they are not in close proximity to them; a fundamental asset during these rather unprecedented times.
Our workers and product enthusiasts maintain the same unified goal; preventing falls and wandering in the elderly and the vulnerable. Our fall prevention alarm systems can be used by individual caregivers providing in-home care to relatives or nurses in professional care facilities.
Val-U-Care will always do our best to help provide the right solution for you in our mission to prevent falls and wandering.
We believe there is a fall prevention solution for every situation, from our Quiet Bed Alarms that help maintain a peaceful environment in a care facility, to our Cordless Floor Mats that help prevent wandering at home.
