The Importance of Not Falling For Seniors

Take a look at the statistics for seniors regarding falling, and you'll see just how important it is to prevent yourself or someone you love from doing so.  The National Safety Council estimates that persons over the age of 65 have the highest mortality rate from injuries.  Among older adults, injuries cause more deaths than either pneumonia or diabetes.  Falls account for about one-half of the deaths due to injury in the elderly.  Among 65 year old women, nearly one in three will fall.  After the age of 85, over half of women will suffer a fall.  For men in the 65-69 age group, 13% will fall.  In the 80-84 year age group, 31% will fall.  The complications of falls are numerous and significant, and often lead to death.

Falls may be caused by a yet undetected underlying disease or a new drug may be the cause.  Poor vision from cataracts or macular degeneration, abnormally low blood pressure, or osteoarthritis are other common causes of falls.  Drug interactions should be discussed with your doctor, as dizziness can occur from certain drugs commonly taken by the elderly.

So we know that seniors fall more often than younger people.  We also know some of the reasons why.  Now the challenge is to prevent falls.  There are several easy things we can all do to reduce the risk of falling:

1.  Improve outside lighting around your home, and inside lighting in hallways, near stairs and bathrooms.

2.  Remove throw rugs and replace with wall to wall carpeting.

3.  Be especially careful when starting a new medication to be certain that it doesn't cause dizziness.

4.  Keep telephone cords and other wires out of the way.

5.  Keep areas where you walk clear of papers, books, clothes and shoes, or anything that might cause you to trip.

6.  Make sure all stairways have handrails and sufficient lighting

7.  Have grab bars installed next to the toilet and in the tub and shower.

8.  If you are a senior with a disability, it's best to wear shoes that give good support and have non-slip soles.

9.  Don't even think about getting on a ladder or step stool.

Always remember, no one ever fell going UP stairs.  Falls always take place down stairs.  Hold on, and take baby steps down stairs if necessary.  A fall down stairs will likely prove fatal.  Finally, if you're like me, take a few seconds before walking when you've been sitting for a long time.  It always takes me some time to get  my balance and make sure my feet are ready to move, one in front of the other.  Falling is a great danger for seniors, and should not be taken lightly.  Ron's doctor told him that his job for the rest of his life was "NOT TO FALL."