What do older people know about safety on stairs?

Abstract

This paper reports findings from three focus groups, involving 24 people, aged 65 to 79 years (20 women, four men), concerning their knowledge of safety on stairs. Findings indicate that older people use their stairs as and when necessary, but tend to avoid stair use when it becomes more difficult. The location of essential facilities in some homes (e.g. the lavatory), however, may lead to increased use of stairs for some. Despite recognition of hazardous behaviour, participants reported that they continued to engage in activities which may increase risk of falling, e.g. leaving objects on stairs and using stairs in the dark. Cleaning stairs presents problems in some cases due to difficulties with access or the need to use heavy and awkward equipment. Focus group participants recognised that medications and use of alcohol may increase the risk of falling, but it seems that individuals may not always appreciate when they personally are at increased risk. Most participants indicated they had given only limited thought to stair safety prior to the focus groups. Possibilities for prevention are reviewed, including modifications to the stair environment and equipment design, coupled with safety education, to raise awareness of risks and strategies for dealing with these.