3 Ways to Help Seniors Avoid Fall Risks

Did you know that about 1 in 4 older adults fall every year in America? Falls are the No.1 cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in seniors aged 65+, resulting in broken bones, hip fractures, cuts, and even serious head injuries.

Even when there’s no serious injury, a fall can still cause an older adult to become fearful and depressed to the point that it becomes difficult for them to stay active.

Fortunately, there are simple ways to prevent most falls; the key is to know where to look. Let’s look at some common factors that can lead to a fall:

· Gait and balance: As we age, we may lose flexibility, coordination, and balance, often through inactivity

· Losing senses: Eyesight, hearing, and reflexes are not as sharp in aging adults, leading to falls. The aging eye makes obstacles harder to see, causing contrasting edges and tripping hazards

· Medications: Some medications can cause dizziness that can lead to a fall

· Chronic conditions: Heart diseases, diabetes, or conditions like arthritis result in loss of function, pain, and inactivity, putting seniors at serious fall risk

· Muscle weakness

· Foot problems

Taking the Right Steps to Prevent Falls

Here are three steps caregivers can take to help aging loved one stay safe and avoid falls:

1. Remove Home Hazards

Nearly half of all senior falls occur at home, so it’s important that you take a look around the house, including the living room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, stairways and hallways to ensure they’re not filled with hazards.

· Remove obstacles like newspapers, electrical cords, loose rugs, overloaded shelves

· Move magazine racks and coffee tables from high-traffic areas of your home

· Repair loose floorboards and carpeting

· Store food, dishes, clothing, and other necessities within easy reach

· Use non-slip mats in the shower.

· Discuss with the aging adult about their needs, such as installing grab bars, railings, raised seating, improved lighting, or perhaps even a seat while showering

· Immediately clean up spilled food, liquid, or grease

Fall prevention always starts with creating a safe living space.

2. Wearing Sensible Shoes

An important—and often overlooked—part of a fall-prevention plan is opting for the right footwear. Shoes with slick soles and floppy slippers can make the aging adult slip, stumble, or fall.

Buy them sturdy, properly fitting non-skid soles that also helps them with coordination and balance. Sensible shoes can also help reduce joint pain.

3. Help Them Stay Physically Active

Even if they haven’t fallen before, the psychological fear of falling can lead to reduced physical activity, which creates a vicious cycle of deteriorating physical conditions, further increasing fall risks and curtailing quality of life.

After speaking with a senior care specialist, incorporate physical activities and exercises in their daily life. This will help them improve their flexibility, coordination, balance, develop strength, and may even help reduce the detrimental impacts of a fall.

Talk with a specialist about creating a custom exercise program aimed at improving muscle strength and gait.

Begin your fall-prevention plan by making an appointment with your doctor. If you're in Sacramento, get in touch with the experienced senior care specialists at Natomas Family Practice.

Since it is a family medicine center, the specialists perform a personalized senior wellness exam to monitor all ongoing and chronic issues and provide compassionate senior care.

The Natomas Family Practice team also includes women’s health care specialists, pediatric specialists, immunizations specialists, and weight loss specialists.

Reach out to them for more information.