Senior Fall Prevention & Awareness
The grandparents might give you a hard time about breaking a hip when they try certain activities, but it’s no laughing matter. Falls are the top cause for fractures in seniors in America, including hip fractures and other severe injuries, although women are more likely than men to suffer fractures from falling. But broken bones aren’t the only thing to worry about. Falls are also the #1 cause of traumatic brain injury, which in turn can lead to a further increased risk of both severe, and even fatal falls.
And it’s expensive to boot. In 2010 alone, roughly $30 billion were spent in direct medical costs on seniors who had been injured as a result of falling.
September is senior fall prevention & awareness month, but it’s something we should always be vigilant in monitoring. While falls are a serious concern for seniors, it is never inevitable that someone will fall. Here are some things you can do to help make sure the older loved ones in your life are less likely to suffer from a fall.
Encourage Them to Exercise Regularly
Balance and fitness go hand in hand, so it’s more important than ever for people to stay fit and active as they get older. General fitness is necessary, but there are also classes geared specifically towards helping seniors build and maintain balance. Encourage parents and grandparents to take these classes if at all possible.
Diet
While some bone deterioration may be inevitable as we age, there are ways to make sure we don’t lose any more than we need to. Strength and balance training are both essential, but diet is also key. We all need to make sure we’re getting a healthy dose of all our vitamins on a regular basis, especially calcium and vitamin K, which helps transport the calcium to our bones.
Checkups
No matter what we do, we tend to lose some of our eyesight and hearing as we age. Make sure the seniors in your life are getting their eyes and ears checked regularly, as trouble seeing or hearing can result in serious falls. Other kinds of ear trouble can also impair their balance.
Stay Vigilant
If you don’t live with your senior loved ones, be sure to visit them regularly and take note if they appear to be having trouble sitting down, standing up, or walking. If they always appear to be holding onto furniture or walls, talk to them about it and see what can be done to help them.
If they live in an assisted living facility or nursing home, be sure to talk regularly with their caregivers about their fall risk and what measures are being taken to reduce that risk. If they’re taking any medications, be sure to stay informed about what those medications are and any potential side effects.
September is fall prevention & awareness month, but people fall all year round. Educate yourself, educate your loved ones, and make sure you have a system in place to help prevent falls.
Here at Stillwater Senior Living, we treat our residents like family. Our apartments include studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom suites. They are designed with security features, maximum accessibility, and include walk-out patois with a full range of amenities for the entire family.
CONTACT US today for more information and a tour of our beautiful state-of-the-art community.