Fall Prevention           

1 in 3 adults over the age of 65 have a fall every year. Those who do fall have a 20 to 30% chance of suffering a broken bone or head injury, making falls a major public health issue.  Beside the possible financial cost, hospital stays, and therapy needs, a fear of falling can begin to cause you to limit your involvement in daily activities and make fall prevention more critical. 

What Makes You More Likely To Fall?

  • Medications – Antidepressants, sedatives, tranquilizers, and some over-the-counter medications can impact your balance.  Talk with your doctor and understand your risks.

                                                                                                

  • Muscle Weakness – Having lower body and sometimes upper body weakness makes it harder to compensate to balance challenges like walking over uneven surfaces or people/objects bumping into you.

                                                                                                       

  • Vision Problems – Difficulties seeing distance/obstacles/in low light, can cause to you to miss tripping hazards.                                                                                                                                                      
  • Balance & Walking Deficits – You need a cane, walker, etc. and/or are having trouble staying steady on your feet.

                                                                                                     

  • Tripping Hazards – Clutter, throw rugs, potholes, uneven surfaces (lawns, fields, etc.)

                                                                                             

  • Feet – No shoes, poorly fitting or minimally supportive shoes, and/or pain in your feet.

                                                                                               

  • Prior Fall or “Near Miss” – If you had a fall or find yourself loosing your balance and needing to catch yourself to prevent a fall.     

                                                                                                         

  • Confusion – Being even temporarily disoriented or challenged with problem solving.

Fall Prevention Plan:

  • Talk to your health provider (Dr., Nurse, Pharmacist) about your medications, read the labels & follow the precautions, take the medication when they tell you to, report your side effects.
  • Being active &  exercising helps you respond better to balance challenges and reduce bone loss from osteoporosis.
  • Eye and hearing support helps you see & hear the hazards that are coming your way.  Wear glasses/hearing aids that fit you and are the correct level to your needs.
  • Alcohol and other recreational drugs can affect your balance and reflexes.
  • Sit up from lying and stand up from sitting slowly to allow your blood pressure to adjust & avoid getting off balance.
  • Use the assistive device (cane, walker, crutches) that was recommended, in the way you were taught.  A cane in the wrong hand or walking with one hand on a rolling walker will not help if you are off balance.
  • Holding onto the walls and/or furniture to get around, talk to your doctor/therapist about a device for more support.
  • Wear closed, non-skid, low heeled shoes that fully support your feet and fit well.  Avoid walking in socks, slippers, high heels, and smooth soled shoes.
  • Talk to your health care providers about any falls, write down the circumstances to prevent falls in the future.
  • Carry a phone and/or alerting device so others can help you in the event of a fall.
  • Remove/fix items that could cause you to trip and are in the way.
  • Use grab bars and railings for extra support in the bathroom, stairs, and elevations.

If You Fall:

  • Stay still and take some deep breaths to calm yourself.
  • Decide if you are hurt and/or if moving will cause something else to happen and make it worse.
  • Call for help and/or 911.
  • If you decide to move, sit up slowly to adjust your blood pressure.
  • Move to your hands and knees while always checking how you feel.
  • Use a chair or sturdy object to move yourself into sitting.