Take Proactive Steps to Prevent Falls and Injuries
The incidence of falls and related injuries—including fractures, lacerations, and head injuries—is growing among adults age 65 and older, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sept. 23, 2016 in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The CDC report said that, in 2014, older Americans suffered 7 million injuries and had 29 million falls. What can you do to reduce your risk of falls? Include addressing environmental hazards, using helpful tools, staying active and safe to maintain strength and muscle mass, and reviewing all medications with your doctor.
“Many of the risk factors that make older adults susceptible to falls are age-related and intertwined,” says Barrie L. Raik, MD, a geriatrician at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Irving Sherwood Wright Center on Aging. “Fortunately, falls are largely preventable—you can increase your safety by addressing your personal fall risk factors, as well as any hazards that exist in your home.”
Identify Your Risk Factors
A yearly fall risk assessment for all older adults is recommended by the American Geriatrics Society. As part of the assessment, your doctor should ask if you have fallen during the previous 12 months or if you have experienced any unsteadiness while walking and check your balance and gait. If you have had a fall, don’t wait for your doctor to ask; report it to him or her, along with what you were doing when you fell and if you experienced dizziness prior to falling. If you take medications, ask your doctor to review them to see if any might be responsible for dizziness or lightheadedness that increases fall risk.
Poor eyesight is a major risk factor for falls; you’re much more likely to trip and fall if you vision is impaired. To reduce your fall risk, the CDC suggests having an eye exam at least once a year and using an up-to-date eyeglass prescription. Having an annual eye exam can also detect the presence of cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration, conditions that impair vision but usually progress so gradually that you may not be aware of them.
“Poor vision also may cause you to cut back on your physical activity levels in an attempt to avoid that potential fall. This reduced physical activity, in turn, may result in a loss of strength in the limbs that increases the risk of a fall,” says Dr. Raik.
Other medical conditions that can make you vulnerable to falls include peripheral neuropathy, which can cause numbness in the feet, and neurological impairments that cause unsteadiness, such as Parkinson’s disease. Having osteoporosis raises the risk of incurring serious injuries due to a fall. And, several medications can cause dizziness, including those used for high blood pressure, and some that treat depression, epilepsy, and insomnia.
Preventive Strategies
To minimize your chances of falling:
▶ Take your time when standing up from a seated position to avoid dizziness that could cause a fall, especially if you take medication for blood pressure.
▶ If you take drugs that cause dizziness, discuss with your doctor whether a reduced dose or a different medication may be advisable.
▶ Boost your strength and balance. “Tai chi is noted for helping to improve balance,” says Dr. Raik. “Also, consider adding strength training to your exercise routine.” Ask at your local Council on Aging, senior center, or YMCA about tai chi classes and exercise programs.
▶ Have your home evaluated. “Ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist who can carry out a safety evaluation of your home and recommend fall-proofing measures,” Dr. Raik advises.
Adapt Your Environment
As you get older, you need to adapt your home to meet your safety needs. Here’s how:
▶ Remove tripping hazards. Get rid of throw rugs, or tape them down so they don’t slide. Ensure that lamp and extension cords are kept out of walkways.
▶ Ensure your home has adequate lighting. Make sure that all of the commonly used rooms, hallways, and stairs in your home are adequately lit, and keep flashlights on hand in case of a power outage. Install a nightlight on your route from the bedroom to the bathroom.
▶ Avoid bathroom slips. Use non-skid mats in and outside the bathtub and/or shower. A shower/bath seat and grab bars provide additional support in the shower/tub area. However, avoid bars that utilize suction, as these may not support your weight—opt for bars that screw into the wall.
▶ Consider kitchen basics. Move frequently used items to the floor cabinets so you don’t have to use a stepstool to reach them. Purchase an inexpensive reaching/grabbing tool for accessing items on higher shelves.
▶ Install a medical alert system, and wear the emergency button around your neck or on a wrist strap so that you can get help if you do fall. Several companies offer monthly, quarterly, and annual options, including LifeStation, MedicalAlert, and Alert1.
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