March 14, 2022

Report Highlights In-Home Hazards for Older Americans

Despite making up only 16 percent of the population, Americans over the age of 65 account for 71 percent of all consumer product-related deaths annually. To address this data anomaly, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has unveiled a new report on the safety hazards that older adults face in and around the home as part of National Consumer Protection Week. “It’s a fact that older adults are far more likely to experience a significant injury, or fatality, from the hidden hazards associated with consumer products in their homes than other age groups,” stated CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric.

Falls were reported as the most common product-related cause of injury and death to older Americans, with an average of 1,800 deaths and 1.5 million ER-treated injuries resulting from falls on flooring annually.

The report also highlighted a number of other top hazards to older adults, including fires, drowning, transportation, carbon monoxide poisoning and adult bed rails.

The CPSC offered a number of solutions for older adults and their caregivers to improve safety in all areas of the home. Some of the suggestions include keeping floors and stairs free of trip hazards, installing grab-bars on stairs and in bathrooms and setting up smoke alarms in high-risk areas around the home.

For more tips on improving home safety, you can visit the CPSC website.

“Accidents in the home can be tragic for older Americans, but this report gives us the tools to prevent them,” added Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Peters, Jr. “By following these basic steps, seniors can greatly reduce the risk of injury while at home.”