Patient/caregiver was educated on fall safety and precautions for gouty arthritis patients as follows:
- Falls and accidents can be frequent in arthritis patients involving weightbearing joints, due to the pain and stiffness compromising the balance of individual. Observe compliance with the general fall precautions and use of assistive devices, as recommended, for fall & accident prevention. Assistive device helps with taking off some weight from the hurting weightbearing joints, which aids in pain relief. Having a seat attached to the assistive device, as appropriate, can help with resting during exacerbation of pain. During the night, leave your assistive device by your bedside for an easy reach. This can help pick them up on a restroom trip easily. Trying to reach out to an assistive device situated far from the bed could invite a risk for uneventful fall.
- Make sure you perform timely inspections on the assistive device or have it inspected, as recommended, to ensure the device is in proper functional state. Make sure the legs of the assistive devices used are touching the ground evenly. Uneven legs can impair the balance of the device and make it wobbly, which can enhance your fall risk. The legs of the device must be stable and sturdy enough to support your weight.
- Make sure that the rubber caps at the end of assistive device legs are not worn out. These caps are slip resistant, offer improved grip on surfaces, and prevent the device from slipping away, especially while on smoother surfaces. Worn out rubber tips disturb even placement of the assistive device on the ground, impair balance, and offer poor grip on the surfaces, which can increase fall risk for users. Replace the rubber tips at the end of assistive device periodically, as recommended.
- Clear all the cables and cords that can be on your path. They can entangle to the legs and lead to impaired balance and fall. Assistive devices like walkers might need extra space to turn around the corners inside the house. Maintain a clear pathway to allow a free access along with your assistive device, at least for areas that you regularly access in your house. Moving furniture around, out of the way, helps promote comfort and ease.
