Community Programs & Education

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Home Safety Checklist
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The Kandiyohi County Falls Prevention Collaborative brings falls prevention awareness to our community through education and awareness programs. Rice Memorial Hospital, ACMC's Hearing and Balance Center, Atwater Block Nurse Program, and Willmar Ambulance Service have joined together to develop an initiative to prevent falls in our county.

One of the programs developed by the collaborative is the Home Safety Checklist which is administered by Willmar Ambulance. If you live in the City of Willmar, you can request a Home Safety Checklist visit by Willmar Ambulance. They point out safety concerns and offer suggestions for preventing falls in your home.

You may be at risk for falling if many of the following risk predictors apply to you:

• History of falls
• Over the age of 65
• Functional or mobility issues
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Fatigue
• Pain
• Cognitive impairment
• Confusion
• Attached to equipment, such as EKG lead, IVs, oxygen
• Incontinence, urinary frequency or urgency
• Postural hypotension or dizziness/vertigo
• Medication regimen
• Depression
• Visual/hearing deficits sensation/neuropathy

Balance Self Test

• Have you fallen more than once in the past year?
• Do you take medicine for two or more of the following diseases: heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, anxiety, depression?
• Do you feel dizzy or unsteady if you make sudden changes in movement such as bending down or turning quickly?
• Do you have black-outs or seizures?
• Have you experienced a stroke or other neurological problem that has affected your balance?
• Do you experience numbness or loss of sensation in your legs and/or feet?
• Do you use a walker or wheelchair, or do you need assistance to get around?
• Are you inactive? Answer "yes" if you do not participate in a regular form of exercise, such as walking or exercising 20 to 30 minutes at least three times per week.
• Do you feel unsteady when you are walking, climbing stairs?
• Do you have difficulty sitting down or rising from a seated or lying position?

Many options exist in our community to help prevent falls:

For a Home Safety Checklist visit by the Willmar Ambulance staff, call 320.231.4017.

For a comprehensive Home Safety Assessment and information about the Falls Prevention Clinic as well as physical and occupational therapy and treatment for balance disorders, call Rice Rehabilitation Center at 320.231.4175. You may also contact the Director of Rice Rehabilitation Center, Lynn Stier, at 320.231.4593 or lsti@rice.willmar.mn.us.

Internet resources are available at www.mnfallsprevention.org.