A fall can cause serious effects especially to the elderly. With weaker bones, injury like fracture is most likely to happen. It can also cause traumatic brain injury if they fall on their head. Trips to the hospital, medicines, and rehabilitation process may cause emotional stress. The physical effect may impact independence, daily function and worse, may cause disability depending on the area and degree of the injury.
Even after they have survived the fall, the fear of falling again is real. They may have low confidence to walk outside and rather stay at home. Some even refuse to get up and walk again causing them to have a sedentary lifestyle which invites more problems due to physical inactivity.
There are many risk factors associated with falls such as:
- Body weakness
- Poor vision
- Slippery or uneven walking surface
- Poor balance
- Inadequate lighting
- Dizziness
Poor balance could be due to many factors. It is advisable to seek professional help to determine the source of the problem accurately and get the best treatments.
As prevention is better than cure, here are few fall prevention tips:
- Exercise regularly to strengthen bones and muscles
- Get eye checkup
- Wear suitable footwear
- Use non-slip mats
- Keep walkways clear
- Keep sufficient lighting
- Check the medications if they cause side effects such as dizziness or sleepiness. Make sure not to move around after taking such medicines
- Use assistive devices if needed
To reiterate, fall is not something to be taken lightly due to the impacts it can cause especially to the elderly. There are various risk factors associated with it either individual or environmental and preventative measures are crucial to hinder the fall from happening.