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Fall At Home: A Serious Concern for Elderly

As people age, their balance and joint movement sense start to suffer. Poor balance, falls and stumbles are among the most common for the elderly in this age. Every third person aged 60 and over who lives in the community falls at home each year in India. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related prolonged hospitalizations, fractures (e.g. broken hip, broken ankle), head injuries, spinal cord injury, loss of mobility and independence, reduced quality of life, deaths, etc.


What Causes Falls?

Find your enemy, as they say. Some causes are predictable and preventable.

  • Health Factors:  Severe health condition and disturbed mental alertness, Loss of muscle mass, grip strength and balance, mobility problems, slower reflexes, muscle weakness, poor balance and poor posture.

  • Social and Economic Factors: Lack or limited social support or connections

  • Environmental Factors (Indoor): tripping hazards, such as clutter and inadequate lighting.

  • Environmental Factors (Outdoors): Uneven sidewalks or pathways, Steps without handrails or marking on the edges, or building design/maintenance. Lack of accessible, safe housing and transportation.



Tips to control falls at Home?

1. Keep your body active:

  • Get regular exercise, especially walking.

  • Do exercises to strengthen the muscles.

  • 5-6 hours/Week Moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity

  • Do a variety of activities that improve strength and balance (lifting light weights, tai chi), endurance (walking, dancing) and flexibility (tai chi, stretching).

  • Contact a phisotherapist to find the best type of exercise program for you

2. Make your home safer

  • Wear shoes with non-skid soles

  • Use night lights in your bedroom, bathroom, hallways and stairways.

  • Remove throw rugs or fasten them to the floor with carpet tape.

  • Tack down carpet edges.

  • Have grab bars put in your bathtub, shower and toilet area.

  • Have handrails put on both sides of stairways.

3. Do regular check-up

  • Check every year for vision changes, cataracts, glaucoma and other eye problems.

  • Checked Hearing every two years

  • See your doctor right away if you feel dizzy, weak, or unsteady on your feet, if you feel confused, or if you fall.

  • If your doctor wants you to use a cane or a walker, learn how to use it—and then use it all the time.

  • Don’t smoke.

  • Limit your alcohol intake to two drinks or less a day.


FAQs

Q 1 – What should I do if I fall at home?

You should firstly calm down and not panic and then check. If you are injured, call for medical help and if you are not injured then use the correct method to get up by rolling on one side and then getting up.

Falls are classified into 3 categories

1. Accidental Fall- Slippage in Bathroom or stairs, accident, etc

2. Unexpected physiological Fall- Fainting, seizure, dizziness, etc

3. TExpected Physiological Falls- Recurrent Falls, high fall risk activities, etc

Most falls occur in areas where there is a bathroom, hallways, stairs, elevation, slippery slope, less space to walk, etc.

The exact cause of falls is unknown, it depends on multiple factors includes problems in balance and walking and the medical condition of the person.

Immediately check for pain and injuries that might have occurred.

Immediately look for help or try holding some steady support to stabilize yourself.

Soreness may be present depending upon the injury that occurred due to the fall.

Yes, you must visit the doctor as soon as possible so that the examination and the required treatment are done at the right time and there are fewer complications.

The Elderly can die after a fall for many reasons like any internal bleeding, head trauma, major bone fractures, etc.

Firstly check the consciousness level immediately after a fall then check for the vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate and also for any bruises, injuries, or any other symptom.

The most important is to visit the physician to make sure that there is no head injury taken place and there is no internal damage. Next, you can always take the necessary precautions.

Somehow yes, falling more frequently is a sign of dementia but not a diagnostic criteria

Firstly check for injuries then help him to roll one side, help to come on their hands and knees, give any sturdy object to hold then putting weight on the hands slide one foot and come to a straight position and come up by pushing upwards slowly and steadily.


 
 
 

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