Stay On Your Feet® - Haddon's countermeasures
Background
Haddon developed 10 countermeasures for general injury prevention. These measures focus on how to control, modify and interrupt energy causing injury to the host (person) [16, 46].
This approach has helped to build understanding of the origins of injury problems and to identify multiple countermeasures to address these problems [44].
Haddon's Countermeasures have contributed to the shift away from education as the principal method of injury prevention toward also including modifying the environments in which they occur and developing a multi-strategic approach which can be applied to falls prevention [44].
These countermeasures are also useful when considering developing falls prevention for older people. The following table is an example of Haddon's Countermeasures as applied to falls prevention in older people.
|
Countermeasure |
Example | |
|
1. |
Prevent the creation of the hazard |
Bathroom design to eliminate hobs in showers, double handrails on all stairs, better design of housing and public spaces |
|
2. |
Reduce the amount of the hazard |
Designing homes, public spaces and buildings with more ramps and easier access, fewer stairs and steps |
|
3. |
Prevent the release of a hazard that already exists |
Non-slip flooring |
|
4. |
Modify the rate or spatial distribution of the hazard from its source | Better urban design and house planning, more appropriate footwear |
|
5. |
Separate, by time or space, the hazard from that which can be protected |
Use medication organisers for dispensing medications |
|
6. |
Separate the hazard and what is to be protected by a material barrier |
Proper use of good quality hip protectors |
|
7. |
Modify relevant basic qualities of the hazard |
Applying contrast strips to all stairs, steps and changes in levels |
|
8. |
Make what is to be protected more resistant to damage from the hazard |
Encouragement of physical activity, improving balance, strength and bone strength, use of calcium and vitamin D supplements, wearing of hip protectors |
|
9. |
Move rapidly to detect and evaluate the damage that has occurred and counter its continuation and extension |
Use of personal alarms and the provision of efficient emergency services, use of a home safety checklist |
|
10. |
Stabilise, repair and rehabilitate the damage or injured person | Develop rehabilitation plans integrated across the continuum of care at an early stage of treatment |
