Falls with injuries happen alot at home. Sometimes, they aren't because of a home hazard, such as a slippery or damaged floor, or tripping over the dog. The following is a common scenario often repeated as a reason for injuries that happened to patients seen in rehabilitation programs.
Scenario: Person is sound asleep. Doorbell rings. Person jumps up quickly to answer the door. Person felt dizzy, then fainted, falling to the floor. Person wakes up, lying on the floor in a lot of pain. Oops, a broken hip, leg, arm,...etc. What the heck happened?
There is a logical reason for fainting in this manner. In a "nutshell," time is needed for the heart to adjust for increases in blood pressure, caused when the body quickly moves from lying down to sitting or standing. Basically, the heart needs a moment to readjust it's pumping action.
WISE AGING TIP: How to REDUCE RISK OF FALLING DUE TO POSTURE CHANGES
Prevent the risk of falling due to rapid posture changes by taking a few minutes to
A. Slowly rise to a sitting, up right position.
B. Then sit still (on edge of bed, couch, etc) for another minute or two.
C. Do this simple act to reduce the risk of falling due to postural changes after sleeping.
That's it. Just take an extra couple of minutes to let the heart adjust it's pumping action. If this can be added every time to the routine of getting up from the bed or couch, a lot of falls can be prevented.
CAUTION! There can be many other reasons for fainting, besides getting up too quickly. Fainting should be reported to your doctor immediately to determine the cause.
If you want more info about fainting, here is a link about fainting. falling.http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fallcost.htm#how%20big%20is%20problem
Be wise, be safe, be healthy,
Dr. Vanessa
Vanessa M. Dazio, OTD, OTR/L
SAFE AGING
www.safeaging.com
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