Injury Prevention Program
Injuries are a leading cause of death and disability. The good news is everyone can get involved to help prevent injuries. We encourage you to learn more about important safety issues like bleeding prevention, pedestrian & driver safety, falls, and summer safety tips.
Northridge Hospital Medical Center’s Trauma Injury Prevention Program provides free community education and outreach to decrease preventable deaths and injuries in our community.
National Fall Prevention Week
6 Steps to Prevent a Fall
Every 11 seconds, an older adult is seen in the emergency department for a fall-related injury. Stay safe with these steps!
- Build balance, strength, and flexibility by contacting a local Area Agency on Aging.
- Schedule a annual physical with your primary care provider and ask for an assessment on your risk for falling.
- Review your medications with you primary care physician or your pharmacist to make sure medication side effects are not increasing your risk for falling.
- Have your vision and hearing checked annually. Make sure you updated your eyeglasses as needed for vision changes.
- Keep your home safe from fall risks like remove all rugs & clutter, increase lighting, install grab bars, and making sure stairways are safe.
- Get family members involved to take necessary steps to ensure they are safe from falls as well.
Car Seat Safety Check
Northridge Hospital has partnered with the California Highway Patrol to offer the community a free car seat safety check-up. Get the most up-to-date information to keep your little ones safe. Have your child's car seat inspected by a certified CHP (California Highway Patrol) Child Passenger Safety Technician. Each car installation and parent training will take approximately 30-45 minutes.
- Oct 21 at 9am-1:30pm
- 18300 Roscoe Blvd. Northridge, CA, 91328
- Please bring your car seat to the pop-up tent located at the West Parking Structure
To RSVP, please email Liberty Salvio at [email protected].
Stop the Bleed
Stop the Bleed is a national campaign to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Northridge Hospital Medical Center offers a free 90 min Stop the Bleed class to the community at hosted outside facilities and events. In this class, community members will learn how to Stop the Bleed by applying pressure to the wound, packing gauze into the wound and holding pressure, and how to properly apply a tourniquet.
For more information or to discuss hosting a class, please call (818) 885-8500 ext. 23437.
Pedestrian & Driver Safety
California leads the nation in the amount of pedestrian related fatalities. Los Angeles County accounts for one third of the population of pedestrians being hit by cars in California.
Northridge Hospital Medical Center offers a free 1 hr class that goes over pedestrian safety tips, distracted driving prevention, and prevention on driving under the influence. These classes are offered to the community at hosted outside facilities and events.
For more information, please call (818) 885-8500 ext. 23437.
Fall Prevention
More than 40% of trauma patients seen at Northridge Hospital Medical Center arrive due to a ground level fall. A ground level fall is a type of fall that occurs when a person is standing with their feet on the ground and falls directly on the floor. It is one of the most common mechanisms of injury sustained across all age groups.
Why is it important to prevent falls? Ground level falls may cause other injuries that can make it hard for a person to be mobile and do everyday activities or live independently.
Home Safety Tips for Fall Prevention:
- Remove tripping hazards from stairs or walkways.
- Remove throw rugs or use double-sided tape to keep the rug from slipping.
- Install grab bars next to the toilet and inside the shower/tub.
- Use non-slip mats in the bathtub or shower floors.
- Improve the lighting in your home with brighter lights and light weight shades/curtains to reduce glare.
- Wear well-fitting shoes with good support inside and outside the house.
For more fall prevention tips please view the video: Fall Prevention Video
Summer Safety
Summer means lots of kids will be playing outdoors, but it's important to keep in mind how to keep kids safe while they're having fun. Below are some helpful tips on how to prevent heat stroke, drownings, firework related injuries, and head injuries.
Bookmark this page and check back for new health tips and information.
