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Make Your Home “Bone Healthy”: Simple Tips To Help Avoid Falls At Home

Posted: 4/29/2011

With a few simple steps, you can make your house safer for bone-healthy living.

(NAPSI) - Did you know that one out of three adults age 65 and older falls each year, putting themselves at risk for injury and even broken bones? And rates of fall-related fractures among older women are more than twice those for men. Avoiding falls is important for people of all ages, but it is especially important for the nearly eight million women who experience postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become brittle and are more likely to break. For women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, a fall may mean fractured or broken bones. That is why taking precautions to avoid falls is key to staying healthy.

With a few simple steps, you can help make sure your house is safer for bone-healthy living. Making changes in your bathroom, living room and kitchen—such as removing throw rugs—can make a big difference. Also, staying alert and focused, remember to wear well-fitting shoes with good treads and using night-lights are all easy ways you lower your chances of falling.

“Every year, more than 80,000 people fall in their homes and end up in the emergency room,” said Barbara Dehn, nurse practitioner at the Women Physicians Ob/Gyn Medical Group, Mountain View, California. “Doing things like cleaning up spills right away or removing cords from open spaces can help avoid the accidents that cause fractured bones.”

Along with helping to make your home safer, there are other key components to good bone health. Exercising and eating a balanced diet with the recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D are part of a well-rounded bone health routine. There are also medicines you can take to improve bone health, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about a treatment that may be right for you.

“As we get older, we need to do everything we can to keep our bones strong,” said Dehn. “If you’ve been diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis, then ask your healthcare provider about a medicine that may increase bone mass, such as once-monthly Boniva. This is a prescription medicine for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.”

Indication

Boniva is a prescription medicine used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in women after menopause. Boniva helps increase bone mass and helps reduce the chance of having a spinal fracture (break).

It is not known how long Boniva works for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. You should see your doctor regularly to determine if Boniva is still right for you.

Simple Tips for Around the House

Bathroom:

• Install grab bars

• Use nonskid bath mats and remove throw rugs (in the bathroom and anywhere in the home)

• Use night-lights

Living Room:

• Keep floors free of clutter (in the living room and anywhere in the home)

• Avoid cords (especially ones that have frayed)

• Be sure all carpets and area rugs have skidproof backing or are tacked to the floor

Kitchen/Laundry Room:

• Clean up spills immediately

• Put away dryer sheets

• Avoid climbing on counters to reach items at the back of a cabinet

Important Safety Information

You should not take BONIVA if you have certain problems with your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach), low blood calcium, cannot sit or stand for at least 60 minutes, or are allergic to BONIVA or any of its ingredients.

BONIVA can cause serious side effects including problems with the esophagus, low blood calcium, bone, joint or muscle pain, severe jawbone problems and unusual thighbone fractures.

Before starting BONIVA, tell your doctor if you have problems with swallowing, stomach or digestive problems, have low blood calcium, plan to have dental surgery or teeth removed or have kidney problems.

Stop taking BONIVA and tell your doctor right away if you have pain or trouble swallowing, chest pain, or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. Call your doctor immediately if jaw problems, hip, groin or thigh pain develop, or if you have symptoms of low blood calcium such as spasms, twitching, cramps in your muscles, or numbness or tingling in your fingers, toes or around your mouth.

Follow the dosing instructions for once-monthly BONIVA carefully.

The most common side effects are back pain, heartburn, stomach area pain, pain in your arms and legs, diarrhea, headache, muscle pain and flulike symptoms.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.

Talk to your doctor for more information or if you have questions about your treatment.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for additional important safety information.

To learn more about exercise techniques, bone-healthy recipes and Boniva, visit www.bonehealth.com.

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