Elderly can take care to prevent falls

Although many seniors may fear catching a cold at the grocery store or being involved in a fender bender, one of the biggest preventable dangers to people over age 65 exists within their own homes-accidental falls. More than one quarter of seniors experience at least one fall per year. Commonly, both the number of falls and severity of injuries increase with age.

Injuries from falls account for a large percentage of hospital admissions in seniors and can potentially cause severe trauma, such as hip or other bone fractures, and head injuries. Three of the most common causes of falls in the elderly living independently are accidents, poor balance or weakness when walking, and a combination of various conditions affecting walking, such as arthritis, side effects of medications, alcohol, pain, seizures, and declining hearing and vision.

As one ages, the body may experience a loss of muscle mass and slowing nerve responses. These changes may make it difficult for a person to avoid a fall since the ability to detect and react to potential obstacles may be diminished.

Accidents generally involve something in the environment. Most occur from a change in stability while walking or changes associated with aging. Poor posture, poor vision, hearing and memory problems all tend to impair the senior’s ability to avoid falls.

Some avoidable hazards include such things as thresholds in doorways, uneven carpeting or flooring, poor lighting-especially from the bedroom to the bathroom-along with clutter in hallways and stairways. Lack of hand-holding devices like railings or grab bars in bathrooms, or not using prescribed canes or walkers also create problems.

Specific exercises can be learned to strengthen a person’s muscles and improve balance. These exercises can be tailored around the patient’s living environment, level of strength and balance deficits. For example, older people can reduce the potential for falls by learning to lift their feet higher when they step, or learning more effective ways of sitting and rising from chairs or from bed, and learning ways to improve balance. Behavioral changes, such as sleeping with a night light so that the room is adequately illuminated or wearing rubber-soled shoes to prevent slipping can help create a safer environment.

If you have fallen or if you are experiencing walking difficulties and are afraid you might fall, have your family doctor refer you for a falls assessment.