Falls in elders just don’t happen, but are due to certain health conditions and/or home hazards that increase the likelihood of falls. In previous blogs, I’ve addressed common fall risk factors and strategies to avoid falls, evaluating one’s risk of falling, and home safety concerns. 

For many elders, dealing with one’s risk of falling can sometimes be exhausting. To simplify matters, some elders will attempt to avoid falls by limiting their everyday activities. In the short run, this works, but in the long run, any cut back on mobility will eventually lead to muscle weakness, loss of flexibility and increased fall risk.

The good news is that many fall risk factors can be handled by elders themselves and/or with help from a family caregiver. Here are some key fall risk factors and recommendations for each on how to take control and lessen the chances of falling.

Having one or more diseases
Could your health conditions cause a fall? Certain disorders are associated with walking/balance problems and increased risk of falling (e.g., poor eyesight, diabetes, stroke, Parkinsonism, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, insomnia, arthritis, etc.).

Recommendations

Discuss your health conditions with your doctor; report any symptoms you’ve been experiencing. For example, do you feel any dizziness, joint pain, or numbness when you walk?  If you are at fall risk, the doctor may want to evaluate your muscle strength, balance and walking.

Schedule regular doctor visits to assess your risk of falling and to make sure that your health conditions stay in check.

If you feel unsteady, use a cane or walker to help maintain balance. Ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist to make sure that the device is appropriate for you and you know how to use it properly and safely.

Make your home safe. Eliminate potential fall hazards. Consider adding assistive devices to help with safe mobility (e.g. a toilet seat with armrests, grab bars for the shower or tub, a sturdy plastic seat for the shower or tub, etc.). If necessary, ask your doctor for a referral to an occupational therapist. He or she can help you find solutions that meet your needs.

Taking multiple medications
Taking too much medication or the wrong combination of drugs can sometimes affect judgment, coordination and balance. Sedatives and anti-depressants in particular are linked to increased fall risk.

Recommendations
Know what medications are you taking. Make a list of all your prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements.

Ask your doctor (or pharmacist) to review your medications for side effects and interactions that may increase your risk of falling.

Know the common side effects of all medications taken; do they affect your balance and coordination? Report side effects to your doctor; he or she may change the dose of your medication or even consider stopping some of your medications. If you see several doctors, make sure that they’re all on the same page (i.e., each one knows what the other is prescribing).

Remove all out-of-date medications and those no longer in use.

Lack of physical activity
Inactivity results in weakened muscles, and lack of flexibility. This can lead to balance instability and increase the chances of falling.

Recommendations

Keep moving! Physical activity can go a long way toward preventing falls. With your doctor's go-ahead, consider activities such as walking, swimming, tai chi or yoga. Such activities improve strength, balance, coordination and flexibility.

If you avoid physical activity because you're afraid of falling, tell your doctor. He or she may recommend a physical therapist; the therapist can create a specific exercise program for you aimed at decreasing your fear and improving your balance. 

Having fallen

Have you fallen?  A fall – even if no injury has occurred – is typically a sign of an underlying health problem that needs to be addressed. In fact, reporting all falls and/or episodes of dizziness is the best way to preserve independence.

Recommendations

Tell the doctor about any falls or balance problems you may have experienced. The doctor may want to check you out for any medical conditions. Much of the work of fall prevention starts with elders reporting any problems to their doctors.

Record the circumstances of your falls, including when, where, how you fell and any symptoms experienced, for example dizziness. Details such as these can help your doctor identify the cause of falling.

Ask your doctor to suggest specific ways or strategies to decrease your risk of falling.

Managing fall risk shouldn’t be something to fear. Marie Curie once said, "Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."  The key to good fall prevention is good education. The more that you know about your health conditions and chances of falling, the better armed you’ll be to defend against falling.  

Listen to Dr. Rein Tideiksaar’s radio interview on Fall Prevention among Seniors here.

Rein Tideiksaar Ph.D., PA-C (or Dr Rein as he is commonly referred to) is the president of FallPrevent, LLC, Blackwood, NJ, a consulting company that provides educational, legal and marketing services related to fall prevention in the elderly. Dr Tideiksaar is a gerontologist (health care professional who specializes in working with elderly patients) and a geriatric physician's assistant. He has been active in the area of fall prevention for over 30 years, and has directed numerous research projects on falls and has developed fall prevention programs in the community, assisted living, home care, acute care hospital, and nursing facility setting. To learn more, check out the Dr’s professional profile on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dr-rein/6/759/592. If you have any questions about preventing falls, please feel free to e-mail Dr. Tideiksaar at drrein@verizon.net