Local Falls Awareness Week Initiative is a real eye-opener
Staff and visitors entering the showhome at Bloor Homes’ Monk Meadow Quay development in Gloucester had to watch their step earlier this week as a variety of trip hazards had deliberately been left lying around.
Toys, magazines, towels, glasses and cups were strategically placed on the floor around the home to highlight the dangers these and similar items can cause to people with visual impairment. It was all part of an awareness-raising initiative organised by Gloucestershire County Association for the Blind (GCAB) - the county charity supporting the visually impaired - to coincide with the launch of National Falls Awareness Week.
Visitors were invited to navigate their way around the ‘mocked-up’ house wearing spectacles which simulate common visual impairments in a bid to experience the challenges faced by people with poor vision and visual impairments in their own homes.
Steve Martin, General Manager at GCAB, said: “Anyone can trip over items left on the floor, slip on a loose rug, fall over a low coffee table, or even a pet, but these dangers are inevitably increased for people with less than perfect eyesight. We are therefore working in conjunction with the NHS and Age UK to raise awareness of the dangers this week, as part of the national event, and to give advice as to how to make the home safer. We’re grateful to Bloor Homes for offering to let us use their showhome to do this.”
The statistics are a real eye-opener. It is estimated that a third of people over 65 have a fall in their home every year and often it is due to them either having a visual impairment they may not even be aware of, or when they are getting used to wearing newly prescribed spectacles or a different type of glasses which can impact on a person’s balance or spacial awareness. Similarly, one-third of all people admitted to Accident & Emergency as a result of a fall, who go on to have an eye test, discover they have a visual impairment that may have contributed to their fall according to a recent study. Simply by wearing correctly prescribed glasses these people could significantly reduce the risks.
Steve continued: “With these statistics in mind, our advice for minimising your risks of a fall at home is simple, keep your floors as clear as possible, make sure you get your eyes regularly checked and update your spectacles as required.”
Jo Smith, Sales Advisor at Monk Meadow Quay added: “We were delighted to offer our showhome to GCAB to stage some all too common trip hazards and hope that people will take their advice to stay safe.”
A range of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom houses are currently available at Monk Meadow Quay which is located in the heart of the vibrant Gloucester docklands regeneration scheme. Prices start from just £109,950 for a 1-bedroom coach house. Generous part exchange deals are available to existing home owners while first time buyers may be able to benefit from Bloor’s equity loan scheme.
You can get more details of all these and other properties in the region by visiting: bloorhomes.com
