Florida News—HEALTH
PREVENTION OF FALLS
This may sound silly when we say to the elderly: “Many problems start with a simple fall.”
Statistics show that a total of 29,688 Americans older than 65 years old died from falls and related problems in the year of 2016. About one in four senior citizens sustain a serious fall each year prompting three million visits to emergency department of hospitals across the country.
A number of these falls are seemingly minor at home but result in serious problems such as fractures, chest injuries and head injuries. More over the fall and subsequent interventions can leave the person permanently disabled and can snow ball into an end of life situation.
Conditions that make one more likely to fall include the following:
- Elderly state
- Toddlers
- Neurological deficits
- Lower body weakness
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Vision problems
- Hearing problems
- Medication effects
- Alcohol intake
- Drug abuse
- Improper footwear
- Balancing problems
- Attention distractions
- Careless attitude
- Hypoglycemia, diabetes mellitus.
- Mobile phone (cell phones) have caused new set of problems such as:
- Listening to music or talking while walking or crossing roads, when warning sounds are cut off;
- Texting while walking, climbing into public vehicles or driving;
- Playing games such as Pokemon while walking;
- Taking pictures and selfies without watching for hazards;
- Use of headphones or ear plugs that cut off sounds of alert;
- Watching videos while walking.
Sporting injuries are another main reason for falls. They are higher with contact sports such as football, basketball, hockey, or soccer. Injuries are higher with skiing, snow boarding, roller blading, horseback riding, parasailing, bungee jumping, parachute jumping, where there is less chance of balancing and control by the individual.
One should consider risk-reducing measures in the house such as:
- Living in a one story house compared to two story house with a staircase;
- Even flooring throughout the house instead of having steps between rooms;
- Rugs and mats to be flat and with tight placements;
- Keeping slippers and foot wears away from doorsteps and bottom of stairwells;
- Installing holding bars in shower stalls, toilets and other wet areas;
- Having handrails on both sides of staircases;
- Adequate lighting inside the house;
- Keeping the floors with maximum open and walking space instead of cluttering it with objects and furniture;
- Keeping the house clean and tidy;
- Balancing exercises;
- Having medical checkups to ensure safety.
CDC has a website for instructions and educational materials at cdc.gov/steadi (which stands for Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries). Another site for information is ncoa.org (National Council on Aging) and enter falls in the search box.
Excerpted with permission from “Aging Well and Reaching Beyond” by Venkit S. Iyer, MD, FACS; published by Evershine Books (www.amazon.com)