With more than 10,000 people turning 65 every day in the United States, falling is considered a national health hazard. More than one in four adults fall each year, leading to various issues.
As we all get older and approach our senior days, we may wonder why we are more prone to falling when we get older. More importantly, we’ll want to know ways we can prevent it from happening.
This is why the professionals of South Orange Rehabilitation & Wellness have put together a short guide to help you understand falling in the elderly and the steps you can take for yourself or others around you.
The Significance of Age
It’s a known fact that as we age, things just don’t work the way they used to anymore. Our muscles aren’t as strong, our eyesight may begin to falter and we may begin to forget things.
It’s also very common for all of these changes to create more situations in which our chances of falling increase greatly. There are three main reasons why we are more prone to falling as we get older:
- Behavioral Risk Factors: Actions that put seniors more at risk to fall, such as overexerting themselves or not understanding their new bodily limits
- Environmental Risk Factors: Places of occupancy being unsafe, whether that be the home, place of work or other areas
- Physical Risk Factors: Impairments, new medications or diseases that affect the everyday function of a person
It’s an easy misconception for many as well to assume that fit older people are less likely to fall. It’s just as common for physically fit older adults to fall as any other senior.
This comes down to the fact that even if a senior isn’t taking new medications or has good eyesight, the muscles in our body do start to break down no matter what. All of us will begin to lose our balance and coordination at the bare minimum, which is just a natural part of life.
Preventing Falls
Preventing falls as we get older is important because falls cause 2.8 million injuries a year, resulting in millions of dollars of health bills. On top of that, you have the psychological effects of falling, such as embarrassment, depression and the feeling of being useless.
The most important thing about preventing falls in older adults, especially if one has fallen before, is to identify everyday risk factors one may have. You’ll want to think about daily things such as:
- How much activity does the person do?
- Do they take medication?
- Do they live alone?
- Do they have any health hazards that could increase their chances of falling?
Once these answers have been identified, one then can move forward in preventing falls. The steps that one can take to do this are fairly simple but can go a long way for a senior person.
Some steps one can take to prevent falls as one gets older include:
- Staying active: This doesn’t mean anything strenuous but just staying limber and able to support your body.
- Regular doctor visits: Annual exams from a doctor are a must for people as they age. It allows a health professional to look you over and make sure everything is in working order.
- Listening to your body: Most importantly, older people need to make sure they listen to their bodies. It can be easy to ignore that lower back pain or slight dizziness when you stand up, but you should much rather be safe than sorry.
Connect With Professionals
If you or someone you know need to see a professional about falling as we age, reach out to the professionals at South Orange Rehabilitation and Wellness today.
Not only can we answer all of your questions, but we can provide you with wellness therapy for any other need you may have.
