Managing Falls
My mother, an 81-year-old senior citizen, is still fairly healthy for her age. As my son’s wedding neared, she and my father were looking forward to attending. While pivoting to look for my father, she lost her balance and fell. Her left wrist, left shoulder and pelvis fractured as a result of that fall. She couldn’t make it to the wedding; instead, she had to stay in the hospital for four weeks. She’s now back home and recovering nicely.
Falling is generally no big deal when you’re 40; you just get back up and go on our way—usually without any consequences other than a little embarrassment. For senior citizens, though, falling can prove much more serious. When over 65, even a fall from ground level can be life changing. It could result in fractures, then having to stay in the hospital, followed by another stay in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility. You might come home weaker and more dependent on others for your daily needs than before the fall. You thus experience a loss of independence, whether temporary or permanent.
Consequences of Falls
According to the Center for Disease Control, people spend up to $20 billion in medical costs every year due to falls and their consequences. For senior citizens over 75 who are victims of falls, the possibility of being admitted to a care facility for a year or longer is as much as four or five times higher. Between 20 and 30% of people who fall typically suffer moderate to severe injuries, including bruises, head trauma and hip fractures that cause loss of mobility and limit a person’s ability to live independently. Further, such a mishap can ultimately increase the risk of early death.
Hip fractures have particularly ominous consequences. Almost one-quarter of those who have fractured hips find themselves confined to a nursing home for a year or more, and 20% will die within one year of their injury.
Unfortunately, the consequences of falling are not just physical. Many of those who fall suffer psychologically and actually lose confidence in their balance. This is especially true among senior citizens. As a result, they limit their walking—which in turn causes their muscles to weaken. Their lifestyles suffer and their weaker bodies actually cause an increase in the risk of falls.
Preventive Steps
You can take a few simple but very important steps to prevent falls.
1. Make daily exercise a habit. This will keep your muscles strong and help you regain your balance when you start tipping forward or backward.
2. Review your medications with your physician. Your medication may have some undesirable side effects that contribute to falls. For instance, you may take sleeping pills at bedtime that can continue to have a sedative effect on your brain through to the next day and contribute to an impaired sense of balance.
3. Ensure you have an up-to-date glasses prescription. Make sure also you have adequate lighting in your home for walking, both in the day and especially at night if you need to get up after bedtime.
4. Wear shoes with hard-leather soles. These prove great for walking and actually pose less risk than running shoes. Avoid high heels, sandals or open-back shoes.
5. Make your home safer. Remove clutter around places where you walk. Put non-skid pads under slippery throw rags or replace them. Put grab bars next to the shower and tub. Ensure you adequately light all stairways and have handrails.
6. Maintain a well-balanced and complete diet that supplies your body with proper nourishment.
© 2010, Senior Citizens Directory