Fall Prevention Awareness Day
Ashley Svaty, Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Agent
One of the most important reasons that falls among older adults are so dangerous is the high risk of serious injury. The National Council on Aging has declared the first day of fall, Sept. 22 “Falls Prevention Awareness Day,” which aims to raise awareness about how to avoid these injuries. A lot of those injuries can occur to the brain, so we have a high incidence level of traumatic brain injury,” said Erin Yelland, adult development and aging specialist for K-State Research and Extension. “Also, a large proportion of older adults who fall experience injuries to their bones - hip fractures, wrist fractures, fractures to elbows and knees.”
One of the most important reasons that falls among older adults are so dangerous is the high risk of serious injury. The National Council on Aging has declared the first day of fall, Sept. 22 “Falls Prevention Awareness Day,” which aims to raise awareness about how to avoid these injuries. A lot of those injuries can occur to the brain, so we have a high incidence level of traumatic brain injury,” said Erin Yelland, adult development and aging specialist for K-State Research and Extension. “Also, a large proportion of older adults who fall experience injuries to their bones - hip fractures, wrist fractures, fractures to elbows and knees.”
Yelland said injuries from falls could take months
and sometimes years to get over, especially if those injuries require surgery,
often followed by physical therapy and rehabilitation. Research has shown that
a majority of the people who fall have a continued fear of falling.
Below are the 4 main items to consider to reduce
falls:
Identify vision
problems.
Seniors should visit their eye doctor at least once a year to make sure prescriptions are up to date, and to monitor for eye diseases or other problems. If your glasses are not the correct prescription, your vision is going to be off which can lead to falls.
Seniors should visit their eye doctor at least once a year to make sure prescriptions are up to date, and to monitor for eye diseases or other problems. If your glasses are not the correct prescription, your vision is going to be off which can lead to falls.
Make your home
safer.
Installing devices in the home, such as grab bars, is a great safety precaution to prevent falls. These could be installed anywhere—along the walls of hallways, in the bathroom or next to the bed.
When older adults start to lose their balance and grow wary of falling, they tend to lean toward the wall and walk along the wall. If you’re in that stage, or you know someone who is, recommend that they install grab bars. So if they would fall, they could try their best to grab onto that bar and pull themselves back up to get to a telephone or to safety. The bars can also be a source of stability. For more home modification tips visit: https://bit.ly/2QGkxcA
Installing devices in the home, such as grab bars, is a great safety precaution to prevent falls. These could be installed anywhere—along the walls of hallways, in the bathroom or next to the bed.
When older adults start to lose their balance and grow wary of falling, they tend to lean toward the wall and walk along the wall. If you’re in that stage, or you know someone who is, recommend that they install grab bars. So if they would fall, they could try their best to grab onto that bar and pull themselves back up to get to a telephone or to safety. The bars can also be a source of stability. For more home modification tips visit: https://bit.ly/2QGkxcA
Assess your medications.
As people age, their doctors could place them on multiple
medications. Seniors should visit their doctor and pharmacist to discuss their
medicines and side effects.
If a side effect is dizziness or disorientation, perhaps there’s a different drug you can take that has the same benefits but has less side effects. Also, just being aware of what medicines you’re on and the side effects can prevent a lot of issues, including fall prevention, as older adults age.
If a side effect is dizziness or disorientation, perhaps there’s a different drug you can take that has the same benefits but has less side effects. Also, just being aware of what medicines you’re on and the side effects can prevent a lot of issues, including fall prevention, as older adults age.
Exercise to improve your strength, balance and mobility.
Exercise is a huge component of fall prevention, inactivity
leads to weakness and an increased risk of falling. Through exercise that
improves strength, balance and flexibility, we can increase the likelihood that
our bodies are physically able to withstand a fall, help us recover from a
fall, and more importantly, prevent falling. Also, with exercise often comes
confidence and less fear of falling. Post Rock District offers Stay Strong,
Stay Healthy strength training sessions in Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne,
and Smith Counties. Contact Ashley at asvaty@ksu.edu with questions
about this program.
