(Submitted photo / Parkland Ambulance)

By Joanie Olson

Slip and falls

Parkland Ambulance responds to numerous falls

Mar 29, 2021 | 2:03 PM

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Preventing falls is the key message from Parkland Ambulance who responded to 136 incidents over the weekend including 12 slip and falls.

There were no specific reasons for the falls which happened both indoors and outside.

According to the director of public affairs, Lyle Karasiuk, falls were not isolated to only the elderly either. One incident involved a 40-year-old man who slipped going down stairs and suffered a significant head injury requiring further care in Saskatoon.

“A fall can be a life changing incident for anyone that can happen to anyone from age seven to as old as 90 and everywhere in between,” Karasiuk said.

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He added people are eager to get outside after a long winter and can be in a bit of a hurry. Falls then happen quickly and that can be rather embarrassing.

“We want to get up quickly and it’s probably the worst thing we can do. Pause for just 10 to 20 seconds and make sure everything is moving. So does my ankle move? Do my arms move? Am I feeling lightheaded? Because if I am in a hurry to get up I could cause significant harm,” he explained.

Karasiuk offered plenty of sensible advice to prevent falls from happening including removing clutter from stairways and walkways, taking away loose carpets, adding a mat to the bathtub, and clean up spills quickly.

Also when sitting up from a lying position, sit for 20 seconds before getting up to help regulate blood pressure. He added to make sure to keep a cordless phone close for easy use, and keep walkways clear of ice and snow.

He also advised if you notice damaged sidewalks, let the city know so repairs can be completed.

–

Joan.Olson@Jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @olson_joani