Minimize risk of outdoor slip-and-fall injuries

It's been a tough winter to stay upright.

Unusually low temperatures for extended periods of time combined with scattered snowfall have created icy conditions throughout northwestern Pennsylvania.

Local physicians have treated patients this winter with head injuries and broken hips, ankles and wrists from weather-related slips and falls. Nearly 700,000 Americans 65 and older are hospitalized each year due to fall injuries, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We've seen a lot of people fall," said Douglas Fronzaglia, D.O., a physician with the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging. "When it's this cold, the snowmelt and salt you use to clear walkways doesn't work. You have a lot of slippery surfaces."

Icy sidewalks, driveways, stairs and parking lots are especially troublesome for the elderly, who are more likely to break or fracture a bone when they fall due to osteoporosis, a weakening of their bones.

People with osteoporosis can take calcium and vitamin D supplements to strengthen their bones, but the key to reducing injuries is to prevent the slips and falls, Fronzaglia said.

"It's a complex problem with several causes," Fronzaglia said. "Your risk of falling increases as you age. You get weaker, you start having balance issues, mobility issues, and even eyesight and memory issues."

For example, an older person might forget to wear his or her eyeglasses when heading outside and are unable to tell the difference between a snow-covered walkway and one that is ice-covered.

You can reduce someone's risk of falling by following these steps:

Limiting a person's exposure to icy conditions. It can be as simple as keeping an elderly person's steps and walkways clear of snow and ice, Fronzaglia said.

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Minimize risk of outdoor slip-and-fall injuries