News Photo by Darby Hinkley Captain Andy Marceau, Community Risk Reduction officer with the Alpena Public Safety Department, talks about measures individuals can take to reduce their risk of falling, either outside on icy parking lots or walkways, or even inside their own homes.

ALPENA — Winter can be beautiful when a fluffy white dusting of snow covers the landscape. But it can also be treacherous when temperatures reach below freezing, creating patches of dangerous ice that can cause falls and serious injuries.

Captain Andy Marceau, Community Risk Reduction officer with the Alpena Public Safety Department, recently highlighted measures individuals can take to reduce their risk of falling, either outside on icy parking lots or walkways, or even inside their own homes.

These tips are especially valuable to seniors, as they are at the highest risk for serious injury if and when they fall.

“Falls are a major issue,” Marceau said. “Last year alone, we had over 600 calls for falls,” in Alpena County.

He said when the weather is snowy and icy, more falls tend to happen, but that it is an issue year-round.

“We get that warm day, and it starts thawing, then … it freezes back up … then we get that light snow, where you don’t know what’s underneath there,” Marceau noted. “You walk out there, and I just did it, I went outside and I almost slipped.”

Marceau wants to get the message out to seniors that if you don’t absolutely need to go outside, even just to get your morning paper, wait until the weather clears up to do so, or ask a friend, relative, or neighbor to help you shovel or pick up groceries for you. Don’t risk it.

“It’s a vicious cycle for elderly people,” Marceau said. “Obviously, they are worried about falling, so they have decreased mobility. So, they try to be more careful.”

He said being careful is important, but so is keeping active during the winter months so that your muscles are prepared to keep you from falling.

But the most important thing is to use discretion, and base your decisions on the weather conditions.

“Really, pick and choose when you’re going to go anywhere,” Marceau advised. “Obviously, if you can park your car in the garage, it’s the smartest thing.”

Again, he said it’s not worth the chance of injury to go get your morning paper or mail first thing on a blustery day. Often, seniors may even head to the mailbox in their pajamas and housecoat, which is not proper winter wear, and, heaven forbid, they fall down and can’t get back up on the sidewalk or in their driveway. Then, in addition to possible injury, frostbite may become a concern.

“Maybe you don’t go on the bad days,” Marceau suggested. “Maybe your grandson or your nephew or a neighbor gets it for you on those days.”

Even doctor’s appointments or dentist appointments can be rescheduled, he added.

“If it’s really, really bad out, do you really want to go to the doctor’s appointment? You can reschedule it,” he said.

With the technology we have today, weather forecasts are becoming more accurate, Marceau added.

“They’re forecasting it much better than they probably did many years ago,” he said. “Pick those days that you’re going to go to the grocery store, and get what you need. And just plan.”

It just comes down to safety.

“You’ve got to look out that door and say, ‘Is it safe? Or is it not safe?’ And if it doesn’t look safe, don’t do it,” Marceau said.

In addition to watching the weather, Marceau said some things to consider are stable, rubber-soled shoes or boots with good grip, make sure walkways are well-lit areas, including inside and outside stairways, and making sure your outdoor walkways are shoveled and salted.

“If you can’t do it, get somebody that can,” he said. “And we see a lot that don’t park in the garage because they can’t get in the garage. That would be so much safer if they could.”

Even inside, people need to be careful of trip and fall hazards.

“Exercise regularly, take your time getting out of chairs or going down steps, keep stairs and walking areas free of electrical cords, shoes, clothing, improve lighting inside and outside, use non-slip mats in the bathroom, be aware of uneven surfaces at home or anywhere,” he said, reading from a prompt for a program on fire and fall safety called Remembering When. “We really encourage people to get rid of rugs. Rugs are just trip hazards. Try to get rid of them.”

He also noted that regular exercise improves your balance and ability to react if you feel yourself tripping or falling.

The Alpena Senior Citizens Center offers exercise classes for a variety of levels, from beginners to the more experienced senior. For more information about those programs, call BJ Sander at the center at 989-356-3585, or view their activities calendar online at alpenaseniors.com.

Marceau added that falls are very prevalent in our area, which has a high senior population.

“Falls are, like, our number one call here,” he said. “It’s a year-round thing.”