In This Issue:

1. Driving With Special Needs Health Conditions
2. Preventing Road Injuries Due to Medication Side Effects
3. Tips to Prevent Burn Injuries from Bedroom Fires
4. Fall Prevention
5. Change Your Odds

Getting Hurt is No Accident

There are always factors that contribute to an accident causing injuries. To prevent accidents and injuries from happening, reduce or eliminate factors that increase the risk or likelihood that an accident will occur. Factors change every day, with every single situation, but with vigilance and commitment to safety, you can prevent accidents and injuries from happening.  

In this newsletter, we provide a variety of injury prevention ideas.

1. Driving With Special Needs Health Conditions 

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration has developed some easy to read and very informative brochures about special needs driving for individuals who have a variety of health conditions.

Each of the brochures listed below identify the problems associated with a specific health condition and then provides useful safety tips. If you or a loved one has any of the conditions listed below, take the time to read them. It could save a life or prevent injuries.

Resource for this article - NHTSA Traffic Safety

Ø Back to Top

2. Preventing Road Injuries Due to Medication Side Effects
by Vanessa M. Dazio

In the United States, our society has clearly stated that drinking and driving do not mix. Every State has regulations designed to protect the public from the drinking driver. Driving under the influence of certain prescribed or over the counter medications can be a powerful and disastrous mix as well. But, driving while under the influence of prescribed or over the counter drugs may not be as obvious to all drivers.

 "Driving under the influence of drugs" is a pretty tricky subject. For some people, taking certain medications can actually make safe driving possible. The real problem with prescribed or over the counter medications occurs when side effects reduce the driver's visual, physical or mental abilities. These skills are vital for safe driving performance.

10 Tips To Prevent Road Injuries When Using Medications

To reduce risks for having a road accident or related injuries due to medication side effects:

1. Pay close attention to changes in vision such as blurriness or visual distortions.

2. Watch for decline in physical abilities such as coordination, strength, balance.

3. Be concerned about changes in mental abilities including judgment, concentration, problem solving, etc.

4. Ask the doctor or pharmacist to explain the purpose and side effect of all prescribed medications before taking any drugs or driving a vehicle.

5. When taking any prescription medication combined with over the counter drug(s), be sure to check with the doctor or pharmacist for potential side effects (such as those that cause prescribed medications to be ineffective, or cause other reactions).

6. Don't drive for any reason or for any distance when under the influence of drugs that change either sensory awareness, physical or mental abilities.

7. Learn About Risks Associated with Classes of Medications

• alpha blockers (have a potential for low blood pressure, passing out)

• anti-diabetic agents (potential for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), getting weak))

• drugs that cause sleep or sedation such as

ü      benzodiazepines (tranquilizers, sedatives or depressants)

ü      tri-cyclic antidepressants

ü      and possibly opioids

8. Sleep Deprivation or Fatigue: Sleep is vital for safe driving. Falling asleep at the wheel risks the life of the driver, passengers, pedestrian and other drivers. The potential for serious injuries and death greatly increase. The best thing to do, is don't!

9.  Alcohol and Medication Use: Check with the pharmacist before combining alcohol and medications. Alcohol when mixed together with prescribed or over the counter medications, can actually change the medication's benefits. If medications are taken, be sure to find out which medications are safe to mix with alcohol, before taking them. You could be wasting your money, and hurting your health, if you don't know!

10. Timed Release Medications: Observe the effect on vision, physical and mental abilities, whenever using time released medications. If any changes are noted, avoid driving, until you know you able to responsibly operate a vehicle.

For more information about driver safety ideas, refer to the February 2006 newsletter.

For some informative handouts about medications take a look at
SAFE Aging's How to Reduce Medication Risks and Medicines and Older Adults.

Ø Back to Top

3. Tips to Prevent Burn Injuries Due to Bedroom Fires 

To reduce the chance of burn injuries due to bedroom fires:  

1. Locate nightlights away from beds where the bulb might touch flammable materials.

2. Look for nightlights that bear the mark of recognized testing laboratory.

3. Consider using nightlights that have cooler, mini neon bulbs instead of four or seven watt bulbs.

4. Never, ever, ever smoke in bed.

5. Install smoke detectors in every bedroom. Make sure smoke detectors work every month. Change batteries at least every 6 months.

Ø Back to Top

4. Fall Prevention

If you have an interest in fall prevention, please take a look at the SAFE Aging's  May, 2006 fall prevention issue. It is filled with great and timely information. There is a terrific article by fall prevention expert Rein Tedeiksaar, Ph. D., called Taking Charge: Reducing the Risks of Falls; a checklist for spotting and correcting home safety hazards, and tips about improving balance to reduce fall risk. Check it out. Also, take a look at http://www.injuryprevention.org/links/links.htm and our easy to read handout, How to Reduce Your Risk of Falling.

Fall Risks Increase With Age 

If you are 65 or older, you have a 1 in 3 chance of falling this year. Those odds are not too good, and it makes falls a huge problem in the United States.  

Research studies have demonstrated physical functioning declines an average of about 10% each decade between the ages of 60-90. There is no doubt that with age, the risk of falls and other related injuries increases due to decreases in physical functioning. Accidents also happen with greater frequency and with more serious injuries after age 65. 

Ø Back to Top

5. Change Your Odds  

If you are approaching your senior years, it is not too late to change the "odds." Begin by looking within.  Start by doing a little self exam. Begin by asking yourself: 

1. Do you see yourself as physically active or inactive?

2. What concerns you about your own health today?

3. What do you think will be a future concern for you in your life?

4. If you knew you were going to fall tomorrow and have a serious injury, what would you 

   1. do differently today?

   2. change in your home? (add safety rails, remove rugs, improve lighting, etc.?)

5. If you knew you would add a few more healthy years to your life by changing your life style, would you do it? Would you start today?

Ø Back to Top

Article Submissions

We invite interested authors to submit theme based articles for the SAFE Aging newsletter. Please send submissions in either .doc or .rtf format, Ariel 10pt. font, and with a 300 word maximum. Articles should be written in an easy to read format to meet the needs of a varied readership including seniors, family members of seniors, caregivers and other senior service providers.  

Topics should in some way be related to health, safety or injury prevention. Articles may not be an advertisement for services and must be informative or helpful. Author photo and contact information may be included. 

There is no guarantee that submitted articles will be published. Generally, articles will be held until the appropriate monthly theme. All articles become the property of SAFE Aging and are subject to editing.

We now have advertising opportunities based on monthly, semi-annual or annual advertising rates. Please contact newsletter@safeaging.com for details.

Ø Back to Top