Elderly warned of accidents involving nursing beds, wheelchairs
Between 2016 and 2025, there were 57 fatal cases related to nursing beds and wheelchairs.
Ahead of Japan's Respect for the Aged Day on Monday, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) has issued a warning about accidents involving nursing beds and wheelchairs that affect elderly people. Between 2016 and 2025, there were 43 accidents linked to nursing beds, with 23 cases resulting in bodily entrapment in handrails and gaps.
Thirty-three of these accidents were fatal. In a tragic incident in June 2022, an 80-year-old woman died in Shizuoka Prefecture after her neck became trapped between a bed's handrail and mattress.
NITE recommends checking the manufacturing year of nursing beds to prevent such accidents. In 2009, safety standards were updated to narrow handrail gaps, reducing the risk of slipping into them. During the 10-year period, there were 59 wheelchair accidents involving elderly people, including 26 cases where users fell into roadside ditches and rivers. Among the 34 fatal cases, an 80-year-old man fell into a waterway and died in Ehime Prefecture in April 2024.
Around 75% of wheelchair accidents were caused by misuse or carelessness, according to NITE. The institute advises identifying dangerous locations, such as railway crossings and side ditches, and practicing proper wheelchair usage. Other types of accidents affecting elderly individuals include cognitive decline-induced ingestion of detergent and burns from impaired vision while cooking. NITE also warns against using deteriorated canes.
A NITE official stated, "We want people to check safety measures for familiar products so that elderly people can live safely."
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