Wise Aging: WISE AGING: 4 Major Tips to Reduce the Risk of Falling

Falls are Preventable

Falls are accidents, and accidents can be prevented. It only takes one fall to cause:

a dis-abling injury
loss of independence
severe financial difficulties
major change in lifestyle
intense suffering and/or
death

General Statistics About Falls

Some people really like statistics to back up statements, so, here are a few. If you want more, check out the references listed at the bottom of this article.

"One in three adults 65 and older falls each year."

"Of those who fall, 20% to 30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that make it hard for them to get around or live independently, and increase their chances of early death."

"Every 18 seconds, an older adult is treated in an emergency department for a fall, and every 35 minutes someone in this population dies as a result of their injuries."

" Older adults are hospitalized for fall-related injuries five times more often than they are for injuries from other causes."

An Occupational Therapists Role in Fall RIsk Reduction

Over the years, as an occupational therapist, I worked with many people who fell, broke bones, and got to meet me in the hospital, nursing home and adult living facilities, as a result of their injuries.

In those settings, my task was to train the person to compensate for their functional losses (caused by their fall) so they could do their basic daily life activities as independently as possible until they did heal, then go home.

This was almost always a process that included other family members, friends or neighbors so they could learn how to help the injured person. Falls rarely affected just the person who broke the bone(s).

My favorite work was always in the home. If the injured person was able to return home, it was my job to identify home hazards, barriers or problem actions that could promote accidents.

Then, I educated the person and their family about risk reduction. I identified their home hazards, barriers or unsafe actions, and educated the injured person and their support system, on actions that could be done to reduce the risks of injury.

Let me say this, over 25 years of practice, and I am still amazed at some of the unbelievably unsafe situations people have at home.

The Costs of Falls

The costs can be staggering financially, personally and socially. Here are a few more statistics to back up my topic today.

Amazing Statistics from the US. Center of Disease Control

Average cost: By 2020, the annual direct and indirect cost of fall injuries is expected to reach $54.9 billion (in 2007 dollars).

".....(In a study of people age 72 and older, the average health care cost of a fall injury totaled $19,440 (this included hospital, nursing home, emergency room, and home health care, but not doctors’ services.)

WISE AGING TIPS:
4 Major things a person or family can do to prevent falls.
1. Get fit: Maintaining muscle strength, joint flexibility and complete joint range of motion increases the ability to quickly recuperate from a loss of balance.
2. Review all of your medications with doctor or pharmacist: REASON: Check for medication side effects that could cause dizziness, lightheadedness, excessive sleepiness, etc.
3. Get a yearly eye exam: REASON: Vision does decline with age. Annual eye exams detect early vision changes or loss. Often vision loss can be corrected with eyewear, or other medical help, including medications, and preventive or corrective surgery.
4. Make your home safer: REASON: Home hazards are often cited as the cause of a fall. Eliminate the hazards, and fall risk is reduced.
WISE AGING's BLOG

Tomorrow's blog will include some other details about falling, and what actions you can take to reduce fall related risks.