Nancy Edwards Fights for Fall Prevention and More
Christopher Plummer, Leonard Cohen and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney share a tragic link: their deaths were reportedly triggered by falls. These high-profile cases reflect a broader crisis. The World Health Organization reports that one in three older adults falls annually, and Health Canada notes falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and deaths among those 65 and older. Yet, many falls are preventable, and CARP, led by Ottawa Chapter’s passionate advocate Nancy Edwards, is taking action to reduce these risks. Through innovative programs and advocacy, Edwards is helping older adults stay safe and independent.
“I was just always astounded by the number of seniors who fell and the devastating impact falls could have on their lives,” recalls Edwards, when asked about her motivation for working tirelessly, helping older adults to avoid the consequences of having a bad fall. The Chair of CARP Ottawa’s Fall Prevention Working Group and Co-chair of the Ottawa advocacy collaborative S.A.F.E. (Stop All Falls Everywhere), Edwards has an alphabet soup of titles accompanying her name: BScN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), MSc, PhD and FCAHS (Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences). A professor emerita and distinguished professor at the University of Ottawa, she brings expertise, intellectual rigour and a determined attitude towards the cause of fall prevention.
For seniors, and, indeed, for all Canadians, the results of falling can be devastating. According to figures surveyed through Parachute Canada, $10.3 billion dollars was spent in health and social costs alone in 2018. Almost half of that–$5.6 billion—was accrued on care for Canadian seniors. That’s the most visible element of the price Canadians pay because of falls.
It is estimated that 40% of seniors admitted into long-term care facilities (LTC) have suffered from a fall. And it is hard to quantify how much psychological damage has been done. A fall may shake one’s confidence and increase the fear of falling again. That can start a spiral of decline if an older adult reduces their mobility, increasing their risk of another fall.
Edwards and her colleagues are working on solutions to this top priority issue. They’re concentrating on changing public attitudes towards the creation of safe environments in private homes, rental properties, and residential care facilities. “There’s some very easy changes that people can make in their homes and apartments where approximately 50% of falls occur. One is installing grab bars in bathrooms, especially showers and baths. We know that bathroom falls are often serious, resulting in severe injuries. The other is installing proper handrails on interior and exterior stairs, another prime location for injurious falls.”
Edwards is keen on ensuring that safety standards are reinforced on stairs to prevent injurious falls. Edwards points out that “Proper handrails are often absent on exterior entrance stairs in Canadian homes. And the shape of handrails matters. A lot of handrails are the wrong shape. For instance, plank-shaped rails only allow for a weak pincer grasp. What’s recommended are circular handrails that allow for a power grip, like the tight one you use on a tennis racket handle. Handrails should be 1 ¼” to 2.5” in diameter and be continuous. The design of handrails can make a big difference in how you’re able to safely go up and down stairs.”
She starts listing other concerns: “There’s issues around the uniformity and height of risers. There’s issues of lighting. Is it bright enough and is there a toggle switch at the top and bottom of stairs? What about the tread depth?”
Edwards is refreshingly candid as she speaks to CARP Action. “I have size 11 shoes, so the depth of steps is always an issue for me.” She continues, “There’s issues of the newel posts. If you think about a handrail, you’re coming down and then there’s a post. It breaks your grasp. You have to release your hand. And, there’s issues with of the length of the handrails. Too often the handrail ends or becomes ungraspable before the last couple of stairs.”
CARP Ottawa’s fall prevention working group has been active for five years. Edwards recalls, “I started talking to like-minded organizations, particularly, the Council of Aging of Ottawa, about joining forces. We held a strategic planning meeting and decided that we would work together as the S.A.F.E. Ottawa collaborative last year. Working together, we can reinforce our messaging. We can move faster to advocate for safer stairs and bathrooms in Ottawa and beyond.”
This is the target year for the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005) to reach full implementation. AODA has real applications for all seniors, as they deal with physical changes related to ageing. Through S.A.F.E., Edwards and her CARP group can make sure that the requirements necessary to make LTCs, new homes and renovated housing are properly implemented so safe environments occur properly.
She wants to change public attitudes, too, and those of local entrepreneurs. “We need to change social norms and take the ageism out of fall prevention. We’re working to shift what consumers expect and demand of safer environments and encourage them to make home modifications to improve safety before the falls happens.” Edwards would like to see changes in retail stores. “At my local hardware store, the bathtubs and showers are in one section and the grab bars are in an entirely different part of the store. If they were next to each other, consumers might be prompted to think about installing a grab bar along with their new tub or shower. We’d like to get people, of all ages, thinking that grab bars are a sensible idea.”
Nancy Edwards has not only been working on fall prevention with CARP and S.A.F.E. She has been pursuing creative paths, writing a book and plays, which have reflected on her past as a health care worker in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Her book, Not One, Not Even One, is characterized by Dr. Merle Kindred as “a rich and compassionate memoir. As a young volunteer with what is now known as Canada’s Cuso International, Nancy spent five years in remote villages in a country of which we have little news: Sierra Leone. She makes her home with villagers, learns of their challenges, and becomes aware of the nuances of their culture. Public health is a critical concern for the villagers, especially maternal and child health in such impoverished and remote conditions. Nancy navigates the intricacies of tribal power and bureaucratic systems.”
Edwards followed up her memoir with an insightful play, “Thinking Good Intentions,” which toured Fringe festivals in 2024. It’s a one-person show in which she recounts her past as a well-intentioned Canadian health nurse learning how to work best with people from a vastly different cultural experience. She’s getting ready for some upcoming performances this summer (www.nancyedwards.ca – see “play” page).
To be clear, though she is a seniors’ advocate and a respected academic, Edwards’s life now includes a more artistic undertaking. “I see myself as someone using artistic ways to reach people and to connect and speak to their hearts. It’s not about what I know and disseminating the knowledge that I have, it’s hearing and learning and listening and responding, which is also at the core of my community development work.”
The city of Ottawa has recognized the contributions of Nancy Edwards by giving her a day—but, as she is quick to point out to CARP Action, “just once, not something every year.” We asked her about it, and she replied, “I bought a new suit for the occasion and when I went into council chambers, everybody was wearing an Ottawa Senators hockey shirt, because it was during the playoffs. I couldn’t decide if I felt underdressed or overdressed.
“We spent time in the mayor’s office and my niece climbed into his seat behind his big desk. I was presented with a document proclaiming the day, which I framed. It’s hanging on a wall now next to my diplomas. It was fun.”
