According to CDC, Falls are the major cause of injury and death in adults aged 65 and up and many older adults have a fear of falling. A majority of falls that occur are within the home and can be prevented with simple changes.
According to medical director of Trauma from Scripps Memorial Hospital in California, explains why risk of falling increases as we age:
- Vision changes
- Deficits in Balance
- Decreased muscle strength
Common injuries resulting from falls:
- Brain injury (especially common for those on blood thinning medication
- Fractures
Key Steps YOU can take to prevent falls:
- Talk with your healthcare provider
- Staying active with exercises focusing improving strength and balance such as walking, yoga and Tai Chi
- Know what medications you are on, some may cause specific side effects such as dizziness and confusion
- Routine vision and feet check
- Make your home safer
- remove items from walkways (tripping hazards)
- remove throw rugs
- keep items used frequently in cabinets that do not require step stool
- improve lighting within the home and outside of the home
- wear shoes that fit
- non slip mats in bathtub/bathroom
- grab bars for the tub/toilet area
- utilize assistive devices as needed
Keep in mind it is important to talk your doctor about any history of falls and/or fears of falling. Medical Professionals are equipped to provide risk assessment and provide resources if you are at risk for falls.
American Academy of Orthopeaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Preventing falls among the elderly –
orthoinfo – aaos. OrthoInfo. 2018. Retrieved from https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/falls
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, December 16). Keep on your feet- preventing older adult falls. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/older-adult-falls/index.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Resource: algorithm for fall risk screening,
assessment, and intervention. 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-Algorithm
print.pdf.
Dellinger A. (2017). Older Adult Falls: Effective Approaches to Prevention. Current trauma
reports, 3(2), 118–123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40719-017-0087-x
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022, February 3). Fall prevention: Simple tips to prevent falls. Mayo Clinic.
Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/fall-
prevention/art-20047358
Hello,
I enjoy the way you laid out the steps in order to prevent falls. This is a very clear and crucial list for people to be aware of when they are a potential fall risk. Your blog was also very knowledgable with the different videos you included, and the different bullet points you included. This blog was very data focused, which makes it more informational and less biased. Great job on the blog!
Hey!
First I want to start by saying I loved the YouTube video you provided in your blog post. This quick video was extremely informative, the cartoons were appealing and gave a good visual on things that could prevent a fall. I also liked how the video emphasized good lighting and the correct shoes. In the ASN program for nursing, it was embedded in the students brain that our patients who are at a risk for falls, must wear the appropriate socks in the hospital setting, and a sign was usually on their door indicating that they are a fall risk.
Also, I really liked how your blog was set up. The structure of the provided information was very clear and to the point and I enjoyed how the information was in bulleted form. Great job!
I like how you laid out the steps for avoiding falls. This is a very vital and important list for individuals to be fully conscious of if they’re at high risk of falls. The blog was very knowledgeable, thanks to the various youtube videos and key points you covered. This blog was heavily data-driven, making it more informative and far less biased. Excellent work on the blog.
This is such a strong blog post! You did an incredible job utilizing illustrations to make your point! I learned a lot from this blog post! Thank you for sharing.