Senior Falls
According to the National Institute of Health, each year, at least 1.6 million older U.S. adults seek emergency treatment for fall-related injuries. Falls are the leading cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence, and injury deaths for older adults. Senior fall prevention should be job one.
More than one third of American seniors over the age of 65 fall and sustain injuries each year and this number rises as seniors grow older. The majority of fall related injuries are to the hip, pelvis, spine, arm, hand and ankle but there is a definite trend toward serious brain injuries. Hip fractures are the leading cause of injuries to this age group and often leads to loss of independence, leading to mental and emotional disabilities that will require long-term nursing care.
Financial Cost of a Senior Falls
According to the Center For Disease Control, for people 65 and older, the total direct medical costs of fall injuries, adjusted for inflation, was $30 billion. It is projected that by 2020, this number is expected to reach $67.7 billion. Fall related injuries for seniors make the list of the twenty most expensive medical conditions.
Preventing Senior Falls In The Home
I’d like to start this discussion with some facts about the causes of fall related injuries. Experts in the field believe, and my research supports the conclusion, that a full one third of fall injuries sustained by elderly people involve environmental hazards in their home.
The Home Environment
Indoors
Clutter and lack of proper lighting make it harder for the senior to navigate through their house. Other hazards include loose carpets, electrical wires and when coupled with the lack of, or improperly installed safety equipment the home can become a dangerous place.
Outdoors
Many seniors enjoy working outdoors in their gardens and on their lawns. This activity is both physically and mentally helpful, but care must be taken when working outside. Before you undertake an outside chore call your caregiver or a family member and tell them you are going to be outside, and you plan to be outside for a specific period of time. Always take your emergency response device with you when you are outside.
Many seniors continue to cut their own lawns, rake leaves, prune plants. This equipment is usually kept in a garage or a separate shed. The same suggestions apply to these areas. Don’t allow them to become cluttered. Keep things stored so that they can be easily accessed. Keep fuel and other products, such as fertilizer, weed treatment, in safe containers and use gloves to prepare them for use.
Walk on sidewalks when possible and when you have to get on the lawn remember to walk slowly and keep your eyes on your path. Upon returning to the home, call your caregiver and report that all is well. Believe me, they will appreciate it and won’t have to worry about you.
Physical Activity and Exercise
It is well known the the failure to engage in a reasonable program of continued physical conditioning can, and does, lead to poor muscle tone, decreased bone mass, reduced flexibility and balance problems. Even absent other obstacles these conditions can, and do, lead to falls.
Vision Impairment
Age related vision diseases and normal degenerative processes can lead to trip and fall situations. Likewise, failure to wear prescription eyeglasses and failure to have up-to-date eyewear can lead to serious falls. Engage in regular eye examinations and wear your glasses, if you need them, when you are up and about.
Medications
The list of medications that can cause dizziness and weakness in the legs, arms and hands, is almost endless. Pain medications, sedatives, anti-depressants and cholesterol lowering medications have warning about the danger of dizziness and falling. Very few seniors take only one medication, so consider the problems that can arise when a person is taking multiple medications. Coordinate your use and any problems you might be having with your doctor.
Disease
Almost all seniors suffer from some level of arthritis and as we age the symptoms get more severe. Diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, which are on the rise, often leaves the elderly with poor grip strength, cognitive impairment and balance problems, a definite recipe for serious injury from falls for our elderly population.
Surgery
Orthopedic surgeries such as hip and knee replacements, as well as heart, lung and other surgeries are becoming more frequent and offer many seniors a better quality of life. Hip and knee replacements and spinal fusions may allow seniors to get around with less pain and weakness, unfortunately many don’t achieve the success they hoped for and often leave seniors in a weakened condition with pain, discomfort and limited mobility. Limitations caused by orthopedic surgery increase dramatically the chance of falls and serious injuries.
Preventing Senior Falls In The Home
Nothing is guaranteed to prevent falls in the senior population, but there are a number of things a senior, and their caregiving family members, can do to help prevent a fall event from taking place. Remove clutter in your living area. Ask yourself whether you have too much furniture, if so have family move it out or make arrangements with Goodwill or another type charitable entity that will come in and take the extra, unneeded furniture, and recycle it to others in need. Make sure all walkways in, and around, your house are open and free of carpets, rugs, electrical cords, magazines or newspapers that can cause you to trip or slip and fall.
See that your lighting fixtures are in good working order and are located where they are easy to operate. Try to avoid extension cords that can cause you to trip or pull down a lighting fixture on to you.
Many seniors find it helpful to have professionals install safety equipment (rails) in bathrooms, showers and near the commode. Kitchens can be equally dangerous. Safety rails can be installed in hallways and stairways. Most communities have home care specialists available to make a home visit and suggest ways to make the home safer and help prevent falls. If you are computer savvy or have family members who are, you can search the web for information that can help you decide how you want to reconfigure your home for safety.
As mentioned above, functional home accessories such as grab bars in the bathrooms and hallways and at other strategic locations can go along way toward preventing these falls. Having a professional examine your ingress and egress points to make suggestions about making stairs and handrails more functional and safer can prevent falls for you and your guests.
Some simple but effective ideas may make all the difference: Keep smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in proper working order; locate fire extinguishers in appropriate places; keep flashlights near your sleeping area and in other places such as bathroom and kitchen in the event you have a power outage. Always work with family member and care givers to make an emergency escape plan.
When traveling to visit relatives or on vacation, portable grab bars and other safety appliances such as the Suction Balance Assist Bar from Moen Home Care offer a suction design that easily attaches directly to smooth, flat surfaces for a firm, secure grip in danger zones and easily unlocks from the wall for convenient transport when traveling. For help in this area go to amazon.com and you will find all sorts of products that will make your trip safe and enjoyable.
Always secure and wear an emergency response safety device that allows you to call for help in the event of a fall. If you do fall, use the device to call for help and don’t try to get up on your own if you are experiencing serious pain, you might compound the injury.
All of these emergency response systems are similar in operation. The senior wear the device on a chain around their neck, wrist, belt buckle, walker or wheelchair and if they fall or have a medical emergency they press the button and a signal is sent to a monitoring system and emergency help is summoned.
Physical Health
On every doctor visit make sure you take an up-to-date list of all of your medications and tell the doctor if you are experiencing any untoward physical symptoms such as dizziness or vision problems. Many falls can be prevented by slight adjustments in medication.
Regular exercise is important at every age level, but for seniors an active lifestyle is ever so important. A regular program of exercise and outdoor activity can help you boost your energy level, keep you flexible and often allow you to help manage symptoms of aging, illness and pain. It is thought by many that regular exercise is also good for one’s mind, mood, and memory. By employing a simple action program you can increase muscle tone and bone mass. Ask your doctor for some exercises that will allow you increase your flexibility and balance
Be open and honest with your doctor. Keep a notebook and record all things that come up between visits so you can make the most of your visit. As technology improves it is easy to monitor your vitals (blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol as well as blood sugar). Take advantage of these technologies and keep a log that you can provide to your medical provider.
Clothing and Footwear
Proper footwear is essential to slip and fall safety. Slip on shoes such as slippers and older shoes that seem confortable and are worn around the house could often create the very slip and fall problem a senior might want to avoid.
Slippers are often just that, slippers, they offer no traction and because they are loose fitting can come off when you need stability. Never, I repeat never, walk around your house in socks. This applies especially if you have hardwood or linoleum floors. Socks offer no traction and are often the direct cause of these falls. Take time in the morning to dress and put on your shoes.
The Outside World
No matter what actions you take to prevent falls in your home, you will still have to make forays into the outside world. Some of the more dangerous places we find ourselves in are grocery stores, shopping malls, doctors offices and restaurants to name a few.
Grocery Stores
One of the best ways to prevent falls is to think about where you are and what types of dangers await you. As you approach the grocery store remind yourself to look out for spills and aisle obstructions such as liquids, boxes, crates of vegetables, rugs and carpets that are not lying flat. Most times when we are in a grocery store we are focused on the items on the shelves at eye level and above. Seniors must be very alert for obstructions on the floor. Many stores use yellow caution cones to designate areas that have recently been mopped. Beware of these areas and if in doubt, ask a store employee to secure any item you might wish to buy in a caution area. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Restaurants
Carpets and runners are often used in restaurants and they can get misaligned or have a corner turned up. Lighting might be dimmer and chairs and tables could be closer than you are used to. Be careful as you thread your way between tables to avoid tripping over chair legs.
Many times, in upscale eateries you will find rugs and other decorative accessories that can easily create serious challenges to the elderly. Knives, forks and napkins can and do make their way to the floor and can pose a significant danger to senior diners. If you can’t see and you’re uncomfortable ask a server or hostess to help you navigate to your table.
Public Transportation
Many seniors avail themselves of public transportation and ingress and egress can be tricky. Once again, if you feel unsure of yourself ask the operator to assist you in getting on or off the vehicle. Always hold on the safety bars as you move toward exits and your seat. Always try to sit as close to the entrance so that when the bus starts up you are not thrown to the floor. Transportation workers are trained to wait until you find a seat but remember, they are on tight schedules and don’t often wait long enough.
Conclusion
Always remember that walking, although we don’t always think about it, is an enormously complex activity involving many muscles, bones and nerves, and, although we don’t often contemplate it there is an amazing amount of sensory information that must be coordinated by the brain to transport the body from one point to another. If there is a moment of inattention a slip and fall can produce injuries that will change the life of an individual in deeply negative ways.
My best advice is to try and think about what you are doing as you navigate from one location to another, no matter whether you are in your house, yard of out in the general public. Pay attention and avoid falls and you will be happy you did.
