Fall Prevention… Reloaded

Do you know someone who is advanced in age, lives alone, or has decreased mobility? Do you know someone who is forgetful or suffers from dementia, has joint pain or muscle weakness? All of these life changes related to aging may increase a person’s risk for falls or injuries. A lot of people live with the fear of injuries due to a fall. The good thing is that falls are preventable.

Two weeks ago our Nursing staff visited a senior independent living community, where we gave a luncheon and discussed home safety and fall prevention. We had an interesting discussion where we not only spoke about fall prevention, but we also shared personal stories on our past experiences with how we have handled or prevented falls, and practical steps to quickly get help if you experience a fall.

This is a short snapshot of what we spoke about:

Fall statistics:

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults in the United States. According to the CDC, one in three older adults aged 65 and over falls each year. Every 11 seconds, someone is treated in the Emergency rooms for a fall, and every 19 minutes an older adult dies from a fall. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in the ER annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. Falls do not only lead to injuries such as broken bones, hip fractures, or head injuries, but some older adults may limit their social and physical engagements due to the fear of falling. This may lead to physical decline, depression, and feelings of helplessness.

There are some things that may put someone at a higher risk for falls, such as

• Balance and gait: As we age, most of us lose some coordination, flexibility, and balance— primarily through inactivity, making it easier to fall.
• Vision: In the aging eye, less light reaches the retina—making contrasting edges, tripping hazards, and obstacles harder to see.
• Medications: Some prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can cause dizziness, dehydration or interactions with each other that can lead to a fall.
• Environment: Most seniors have lived in their homes for a long time and have never thought about simple modifications that might keep it safer as they age.
• Chronic conditions: More than 90% of older adults have at least one chronic condition like diabetes, stroke, or arthritis. Often, these increase the risk of falling because they result in lost function, inactivity, depression, pain, or multiple medications.

We spoke about 6 simples steps anyone can take to prevent falls:

1. – Accept that falls can happen to you. A lot of older adults know that falls take place, and that falls may lead to serious injuries or death, and they know that a lot of people experience falls every day, but sometimes we tell ourselves that falls happen to other people, and not us. One important thing to realize is that falls can affect anyone who is advanced in age. Acceptance open the doors to taking action to stay safe.
2. – Reduce clutter. It’s important to keep our homes clutter free, and our walkways obstruction free. Excessive furnishings, boxes, trash, or things you do not use anymore should be stored away or disposed of. The accumulation of clutter in your home increases the likelihood of tripping and falling.
3. – Remember your health checkups. An annual eye exam, and routine physicals can play a very important role in fall prevention. Poor vision may make it difficult to see obstacles in your path, that may lead to falls. It’s also important to get a complete physical at least once annually.
4. – Be aware of the side effects of the medications you may be taking. Some medications have side effects that can increase your risk for falls. Medications such as blood pressure pills, water pills, some antidepressants, anxiety, and pain medications increase the risk for falls. It’s important to ask your doctor questions about your medicine, and know which ones can increase your fall risk. Sometimes the doctor can adjust your dosage, or medications if you are experiencing any dizziness.
5. – Use assistive devices. Assistive devices are designed to help you maintain your balance and to promote a steady gait. Example of assistive devices include canes, walkers, or wheelchairs, grab bars, or hand rails. If you have a cane, walker, etc., it’s important to use them, and to use them correctly. I often see people who have canes or walkers walking around without their canes or walkers. These devices are meant to help prevent falls and keep you safe. I know they may feel limiting and seem like an irritating hindrance at times, but they are very important in preventing falls.
6. – Home modifications. There are some home modifications you can do to help reduce the risk for falls. These can be simple things such as using a non-slip rubber mat in the bathroom, taping the edges of your rug using double sided tape, having a grab bar, trapeze, side rails etc. These home modifications are important in high fall risk areas of your home, such as the bathroom.

These six steps can go a long way in preventing falls.

Personal Stories (Summary)

One of our nurses shared a personal story on how he lost his dad in 2009 due to complications related to a fall at home. His dad lived alone, drove, and took care of himself without any assistance. His dad fractured his hip, was unable to get up, and stayed on the floor in his house for 2 days. The mailman noticed that his mail was not collected, and his car was in the driveway, and called the police out of concern. He was found lying on the floor, and barely alive. He was taken to Abington hospital, where he later died.

One of our home health aides also shared how she had a fall, that led to head injuries, a seizure, and short term hospitalization. Our discussion taught us that falls can happen to anyone, therefore we must stay proactive, and do whatever we can to prevent falls.

What to do if you fall. (Summary)

We discussed simple, practical steps to quickly get help if you have a fall, such as using an emergency call button, or cellphone to call for help. We also discussed the importance of having the call button or a cell phone always within reach.
We also spoke about the importance of taking advantage of your support system to check on each other to make sure you’re safe. We suggested having a friend, or neighbor call you at a specific time daily to make sure you are safe. These phone calls or visits may be very important in early detection that there may be a problem, and getting help quickly.

We also discussed seeking assistance from professionals such as nurses, or Home Health Aides, who are trained in safety and fall prevention. They know what to do to help you prevent falls, and can be a great teaching resource to keep you safe.
We discussed how our agency offers home health aides who are dedicated to promoting the safety and independence of the people we serve.
We really enjoyed and learned a lot during this luncheon, and I just wanted to share some insights on what we are doing within the community.

To get more information on how our services can help you or a loved one live safely and independently in their home, feel free to contact us at 610-488-2273, or visit our website at www.GreaterHomeCare.com.