And they all came tumbling down.

I’ve never received as many e-mails on a subject as we did on the Sept. 21 fall prevention article.

Folks wanted more information on how they could help prevent falling, so we did a little more research. To help prevent that first tumble, check the following suggestions.

• When you walk through a room, do you have to walk around furniture? If so, ask someone to move the furniture so your path is clear.

• Always, always pick things up off the floor and the stairs, including papers, magazines, books, shoes, boxes, blankets and towels.

• Do you have to walk over or around lamp cords, extension cords, telephone or other wires? Coil or tape cords and wires next to the wall so you can’t trip over them.

• Is the path from your bed to the bathroom dark? Put in a night light.

• Is the tub or shower floor slippery? Put a non-slip rubber mat or self-stick strips.

• Do you have support when you get in and out of the tub or up from the toilet? Have a handyman put in a grab bar inside the tub and next to the toilet.

• Remove all throw rugs.

• Place hand rails on both sides of the stairs.

• Be sure to have adequate lighting both inside the house and in the yard.

• Repair sidewalks and paths around your home.

• Wear well-fitting shoes with low, flat and wide heels and non-skid soles.

• Have a telephone close to the floor in case of a fall.

If you fall:

• Think long and hard on what led to your fall and take action to reduce those factors.

• Consider using a personal emergency response service (such as LifeLine) to help you if you do fall again.

• After a fall, start slowly to build your confidence in exercise and daily activities. Start with chair exercises, then more to standing exercises, then moving exercises. If you are afraid of exercising alone, consider joining a group or class (like those at the Napa Senior Center).

• It’s very important to keep active, strong and healthy.

• To prevent a decline in mobility, strength, balance and flexibility, keep muscles toned with at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days.

• Walk every day.

• Eat a regular, well-balanced, calcium-rich diet to help keep up strength.

• Do not skip meals.

• Drink lots of liquids.

Bottom line: Accept the fact that getting older, we need to be more aware of where we’re walking. Watch those curbs, loose rocks and cracked sidewalks. If we’re starting to feel a little unstable, grab a cane or a walker. Don’t be foolish and say “I’m not that old.”

Most of these suggestions were gleaned from the Web site of Stop Falls Napa Valley: www.stopfallsnapavalley.org. This is a program of the Area Agency on Aging serving Napa and Solano counties. Contact Terri Restelli-Deits at terrid@aaans.org for more info.

Senior Corner appears every other Monday, alternating with Jim Ford’s Napa As It Was. Betty can be reached at bettyrrhodes@sbcglobal.

net.