Elderly warned of accidents involving nursing beds, wheelchairs

Ahead of Respect for the Aged Day in Japan on Monday, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation warned of accidents involving nursing beds or wheelchairs and urged elderly people to review proper usage with their families and care workers.

According to NITE, there were 43 nursing bed accidents affecting elderly people between 2016 and 2025, including 23 cases in which users’ bodies were caught in handrail and other gaps.

There were 23 fatal accidents. In June 2022, a woman in her 80s died in Shizuoka Prefecture after her neck was trapped between a bed’s handrail and its mattress.

NITE calls for checking the year of manufacture to prevent accidents involving such beds. In 2009, safety standards were revised to narrow handrail gaps to reduce the risk of slipping into them.

During the same 10-year period, there were 59 wheelchair accidents involving elderly people, including 26 cases in which users fell into roadside ditches and rivers. Among 34 fatal cases, a man in his 80s fell into a waterway and died in Ehime Prefecture in April 2024.

About 75% of the wheelchair accidents were caused by misuse or carelessness, according to NITE. It calls for identifying dangerous places, such as railway crossings and side ditches, and also repeating practices to learn how to use wheelchairs properly.

Other types of accidents involving elderly people include cases in which they mistakenly drink detergent due to cognitive decline or get burned while cooking due to impaired vision. NITE also warns against using deteriorated canes.

“We want people to check safety measures for familiar products so that elderly people can live safely,” said a NITE official.