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Fall Prevention for the Elderly
Knowing the Risks of Falls in Older Adults
The first step to stopping falls is to know what the risks are
There is always a reason for a fall. As we get older, a number of things make it more likely that we will fall. To come up with good ways to stop these things from happening, you need to know what these risk factors are.
Common Risk Factors for Falling
- Declining vision and hearing that make it difficult to keep your balance and know where you are
- Weak muscles and less flexibility, especially in the lower body
- Long-term health problems like diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis
- Dizziness or drowsiness as a side effect of medications
- Environmental dangers in the home, such as bad lighting or loose rugs
- Lack of vitamin D weakens bones and muscles
- Fear and anxiety about moving because of past falls
Falls can have serious effects, from minor bruises to serious fractures, head injuries, and even long-term disability. For many older people, a fall can be the start of losing their independence and quality of life.
Important Steps to take to Avoid Falls
Making proactive choices about your lifestyle is essential for lowering the risk of falls. These steps not only help keep you from falling, but they also help your health and well-being in general.
Stay Active and Exercise Regularly
One of the best ways to keep from falling is to exercise regularly. Exercise makes you stronger, more balanced, more coordinated, and more flexible, all of which are important for staying stable.
- Tai chi, yoga, or just standing still are all good ways to work on your balance
- Strength training that focuses on the muscles in your legs and core is beneficial for improving overall stability
- Walking programmes can enhance the strength and stamina of your lower body
- Chair exercises for people who can’t move around much
Even light activities done for 30 minutes a few times a week can greatly lower the risk of falling. Always talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise plan.
Nutrition and Hydration
Eating well helps keep your bones and muscles strong, which is important for avoiding falls. Pay attention to these important parts of your diet:
- Foods high in calcium include dairy products, leafy greens, and foods that have been fortified
- Fatty fish, egg yolks, and safe sun exposure are all good sources of vitamin D
- Protein helps keep muscles healthy and repair them
- Keeping hydrated, and seeking medical advice if on medication
Take care of your health conditions and medications
Many health problems and their treatments can increase the likelihood of falls. It’s important to work closely with healthcare providers to keep these things under control.
- Establish regular check-ups to monitor long-term health issues
- Consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications to see which ones may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or balance issues
- Take medication as directed by your medical practitioner
- Take care of your blood pressure to avoid postural hypotension, which is when your blood pressure drops suddenly when you stand up
- Take care of any problems with incontinence that might make you have to go to the toilet quickly
Sensory Health: Vision and Hearing
Our senses give us important information about the world around us. The risk of falling goes up a lot when vision or hearing gets worse.
Care for Your Eyes
- Set up yearly eye tests
- Make sure your eye prescriptions are up to date
- If you need to, think about getting different glasses for reading and seeing far away
- Please address any cataracts, glaucoma, or other eye issues promptly
Taking Care of Your Hearing
- Please ensure to have your hearing evaluated annually
- If you have hearing aids, use them and take care of them
- Clear earwax blockage to prevent disturbances in your balance
- Hearing loss can lead to social isolation
What if you have problems with both seeing and hearing?
Sensory impairments that happen together need special care. Please consider these additional steps:
- Make sure that living areas are well-lit and have as little glare as possible.
- Use colours that are different from each other to draw attention to steps, doors, and possible dangers.
- Think about sensory aids like doorbells that vibrate or alarms that make noise.
- For coordinated care, work with both vision and hearing specialists.
Footwear and Health of the Feet
Wearing the right shoes can greatly lower the risk of falling, but foot problems can make it harder to keep your balance and stability.
- Pick shoes with low heels, good support, and soles that don’t slip.
- Don’t wear backless slippers, high heels, or shoes with slick soles.
- Take care of foot pain, bunions, or other foot issues right away, especially if diabetic.
- If a podiatrist suggests it, think about using orthotic inserts.
- Instead of walking around in socks, wear slippers with rubber soles that fit perfectly.
Creating a Fall-Proof Home Environment
Making small changes to your home can greatly lower the risk of falling
Most falls happen at home, so making your home safer is one of the best ways to stop them. A systematic way to find and fix hazards can greatly lower the risk of falls.
Important Changes to the Home
- Put handrails on both sides of every staircase
- Add grab bars in the bathroom near the toilet and in the shower or bath
- Make sure there is enough light in all parts of the house, especially in hallways and stairwells
- Put night lights in the hallways and bathrooms
- Make sure that loose rugs and mats are safe or take them away
- Set up your furniture so that there are clear paths
- Put things you use often close by
- Think about getting a shower chair and a toilet seat that is higher up
Safety Checklist for Each Room
Kitchen
- Put things you use often at waist level
- For higher things, use a stable step stool with a handrail
- Clean up spills right away to avoid slipping
- Think about having a place to sit while you cook
Bathroom
- Put down non-slip mats in the shower and bath
- Put in a handheld showerhead so you can shower while sitting down
- Instead of a tub, consider getting a walk-in shower
- Make sure towels and toiletries are easy to get to
Bedroom
- Always have a lamp close to the bed
- Consider getting bed rails if it’s challenging for you to get in and out of bed
- Make sure there is a clear path from the bed to the bathroom
- Arrange your clothes so that they are easy to get to
Need Help From A Physiotherapist?
Our directory of therapists can help you find a physio who can spot potential dangers and suggest exercises that are right for you, making you and your home safer.
The StandSure Therapy Aid: Assists in Falls Prevention Therapy
The StandSure Therapy Aid helps you build muscle, and improve balance and co-ordination.
Making changes to your home and way of life is important, but specialised equipment can also help keep you from falling. The StandSure aid was made by a physiotherapist, for physiotherapists, and is can be easily incorporated into a rehabilitation programme to improve strength, balance, and co-ordination. This in turn can help with walking pattern and ability to climb stairs.
Key Benefits
- Strengthens the core and leg muscles that are important for good posture and stability
- Facilitates exercises that are aimed at improving balance and coordination
- Builds confidence in movement and sitting to standing
- Designed for people of all ages
- Recommended and used by professional physiotherapists
How It Works
The StandSure Therapy Aid consists of a footboard with comfortable velcro ankle and toe straps, into which the user’s feet are secured. It assists in maintaining foot placement for seated, sit to stand and standing therapy for those people who struggle with maintaining a stable foot position. It is recommended that it is used during supervised therapy sessions with a qualified physiotherapist or exercise physiologist. It can be incorporated easily into rehabilitation programmes within clinical settings or the user’s home.
Discover the StandSure Therapy Aid
Physiotherapists recommend the StandSure aid is an effective way to help prevent falls, build muscle and improve balance through supervised exercises.
Professional Support and Resources
Self-help measures are important, but getting help from a professional can make your efforts to prevent falls much more effective. Different healthcare professionals and services can offer specialised assistance.
Healthcare Providers
- Primary care doctors and pharmacists who check medications and health
- Physiotherapists create customised exercise plans for you, based on your needs
- Occupational therapists who check the safety of homes
- Podiatrists and chiropodists for healthy feet, diabetic foot checks and the correct footwear
Technology Solutions
- Personal alarm systems for when you need help
- Devices that automatically tell carers when someone falls
- Lighting that turns on when you move for safety at night
- Systems that remind you to take your medicine
Community Resources
- Classes and workshops on how to avoid falls
- Services for assessing home safety
- Exercise programmes for seniors in the community
- Transportation services to lower the risk of falling outside the home
- Health, fitness and wellbeing centres – check local availability
When to Seek Professional Help
Some situations call for immediate professional help to deal with fall risks in the best way:
- After experiencing a fall, even if no injury occurred
- When you feel dizzy, unsteady, or your gait changes
- If you think the side effects of your medicine are causing problems
- When you move to a new home or make big changes to your living situation
- If fear of falling is keeping you from doing every day activities
Common Questions About How to Avoid Falls
What are the 5 P’s of falls prevention?
The 5 P’s of falls prevention provide a simple framework for reducing risks:
- People: Find out who is at risk and what they need
- Prevention: Take steps ahead of time, like exercising and making changes to your home
- Processes: Set up safety rules and routines
- Place: Make sure the area is safe
- Policies: Obey the rules that are already in place to stop falls
How can you keep older people from falling?
A full plan to keep seniors from falling includes:
- Exercises for strength and balance on a regular basis
- Changes to make the home safer
- Getting the right nutrition
- Regular reviews of medications
- Checks for vision and hearing
- Correct footcare and footwear
- Professional help and assessment when needed
- Use of assistive devices
What is the fall prevention program for the elderly?
Most fall prevention programmes have more than one part:
- Healthcare professionals conduct risk assessments
- Provision of personalised exercise plans that focus on balance, strength and co-ordination
- Evaluations and changes to make homes safer
- Reviews of medications to find and fix those that raise the risk of falling
- Vision and hearing tests
- Education people about the risks of falling and how to avoid them
- Follow-up monitoring and any necessary changes to the fall prevention programme should be implemented
Healthcare providers, community centres, and specialised fall prevention clinics may offer these programmes.
What are the consequences of falls in the elderly?
Elderly people are at risk of the following:
- Injuries to the body, like broken bones, especially the hips
- Injuries to the head and traumatic brain injury
- Less freedom of movement
- Fear of falling may prevent day to day tasks being performed
- Social isolation and depression
- Higher risk of needing a care facility
- Lower quality of life
- Risk of increased morbidity
What symptoms should you look for after a fall in an elderly person?
Be alert to these signs after a fall that could mean a serious injury:
- Pain, swelling, or bruising that won’t go away
- Hard to walk or carry weight
- Headache, confusion, or sleepiness (possible signs of a head injury)
- Dizziness or visual disturbance, for example, double vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Confusion
- Visible deformity in limbs indicating fracture
- Loss of feeling or function in any part of the body
If you experience any of these symptoms following a fall, please seek medical assistance promptly.
Preventing falls isn’t just about avoiding accidents; it’s also about keeping older people independent, confident, and living a good life. You can make your home or the home of a loved one much safer by following the tips in this guide.
Keep in mind that the best way to stop falls is to look at all aspects of the problem, including physical health, the environment, and the right support tools. Always take action before a fall happens; proactive prevention is always the best way to go.
Get help with fall prevention that is made just for you.
Do you have enquiries regarding the StandSure aid or fall prevention strategies? Our team of experts is here to help you, and we will give you personalised advice and information.
