Preventing Falls In The Elderly

I thought I knew everything there was to know about preventing falls in the elderly until Mom went “boom” in the bathroom. I had bathroom grab bars, I had a secure mat on the floor. What I didn’t have was anything to prevent the pathological fracture she suffered prior to the fall.

A pathological fracture is most common in the elderly who have osteoporosis, and, sadly, there is nothing we could do about it. A pathological fracture is when the bone breaks (in this case, my mom’s hip) causing the fall. So, Mom actually suffered a broken hip earlier in the day when she complained of increased hip pain. We just didn’t realize it!

So, my Mom’s fall was no one’s fault – it would have happened regardless. But, since she had surgery and was in a nursing home rehabilitation unit prior to coming back to our home, I had to strengthen my knowledge about how to prevent falls in the elderly. The below is information I’ve gleaned from many sources.

That picture above is my adorable Mom in her first rehab date – she actually stood up just 2 days after surgery!

Typical Causes Of Falls In The Elderly

There is a lot of data on the web listing the common risk factors for falls in the elderly. The below are the risk factors for falls in the elderly that were most commonly noted.

I also learned that 2/3 of those who suffer a fall will do so again within 6 month…shoot.

• Osteoporosis.Osteoporosis is my Mom’s diagnosis that led to her stress fracture. Osteoporosis is a condition where calcium is not processed properly throughout the body – causing bones to be more porous, weaker, and easy to suffer breaks.
  Solution – Get in enough calcium every day. When I went off to explore what exactly enough calcium was, you’d never believe how hard it was to find the answer. Anyway, here it is for you:
  
  Women – pregnant or lactating women have higher requirements
  * Age 9 to 18 years: 1300 mg
  * Age 19 – 50 years: 1000 mg
  * Over Age 51 years: 1200 mg
  Men
  * Age 9 to 18 years: 1300 mg
  * Age 19 – 50 years: 1000 mg
  * Over Age 51 years: 1200 mg

 Pure Calcium Magnesium Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol – Best Bone Support Supplement – Healthy Teeth – Strong Muscles – For Women and Men – 1000 Mg – By Nature Bound Bone Support – Calcium Supplement with Calcium Citrate & Hydroxyapatite 1000mg + Magnesium, K2, Vitamin D3 & more, 180 Tablets MegaFood – Calcium, Magnesium & Potassium, Supports Healthy Bones & Muscles, 90 Tablets

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• Not enough vitamin D.Vitamin D is made in the body whenever we’re in sunshine. Generally, about 15 minutes of sun a day is all you need to get in your daily dose of Vitamin D. With the elderly though, their bodies may not work as efficiently at absorbing the sun’s rays.
  Solution – take a vitamin D supplement. Most of the calcium items I have listed above have Vitamin D added right into the vitamin.
• Not doing enough weight bearing exercises. Let’s face it…we’re lazy.Solution – Do weight bearing exercises on a regular basis. You don’t have to go to the gym to practice some easy weight bearing exercises. Do some work your arms into some bicep curls or stretches by holding cans of vegetables as weights.
• Not enough general exercise. We do live a much more sedentary life than our ancestors and have much poorer muscle tone in general.Solution – Get in some sort of exercise every day. Try to get in at least a 15 minute walk a day to get im some light exercise. Take a dog along – you’ll have a friend for life. Or, if you prefer, go swimming

 Exercise for Frail Elders Stronger Seniors® Stretch and Strength DVDs- 2 disc Chair Exercise Program Strength Training for Seniors – The 30 Minute Workout Without Gym Elder Al’s Elderlies Massage & Exercises: For 80 Year’s and Up – Younger if You Feel Up To It.

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• Vision problems. As we age, our vision changes pretty drastically. Most of the elderly have problems in dim surroundings or coming out of a very bright area (temporary blindness may ensure).
  Solutions – Be generous with the lighting around your elderly loved one. Add hand rails and guardrails in areas where falls could occur. Regular checkups at the eye doctor are a very necessary thing on a yearly basis.
• Tripping. The elderly may shuffle their feet so tripping over almost any object is pretty much a surety at some point in their life.
  Solution – Access your elderly loved one’s surroundings and take preventative measures to keep items off the floor. Tack down all throw rugs with double sided tape or carpet tacks, or, better yet, thrown them out. Never ever buy a throw lug with fringe!

   XFasten Indoor Carpet Tape Double sided 2 Inches x 30 Yards NeverCurl – Instantly Stops Rug Corner Curling. 3M Tekk Protection Anchor Rug System, (Pack of 4) Curl Stop Anti-Curling Rug System (Pack of 4 Corners)

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  Make sure your senior friend’s bed and chair are secured to the floor with grippers. No furniture should ever move.

  I have 6 dogs – 3 of whom are small (one is almost a speck). I’ve trained all 6 of my dogs to steer clear of my Mom and her walker. It took me a long time to do it but it was well worth the effort. In 5 years, she’s never tripped over a dog.

• Medications. Dizziness is a typical side effect of a lot of medications. One episode of standing up and being dizzy may be all it takes….Solution – Check the package insert of every medicine your elderly friend uses or discuss the medications with their geriatric doctor. If there are medications which cause dizziness and cannot be changed, teach your elderly loved on to always sit up for a moment before standing, particularly if they were reclining.
• Long toe nails. My Dad always had to get his toenails trimmed at a podiatrist, and, for that, I was grateful! At least I was off the hook for THAT job!Long toe nails have often been associated with falls in the elderly. Longer toe nails can catch rugs and cause imbalance. Trim them up!

Items To Help Prevent Falls In The Elderly

While Mom was in rehab from a broken hip, I learned a few tricks about helping to prevent falls in the elderly. Mom did a lot of physical therapy where the nurses also educated me. Below are some of the items I loaded up with at home to keep Mom from toppling over again. Note: She never again fell.

Gait Belts Give You A Hand

Gait belts are strong, flexible belts that go around your elderly friend’s waist. When they stand or sit, grabbing onto the belt gives you a hand in helping them and also steadies them. Grabbing a gait belt is much preferred over grabbing the back of someone’s pants and giving them a wedgie (personal experience talking here).

 MABUA Physical Therapy Gait Belt with Metal Buckle – Beige 60 Secure Transfer Walking Gait Belt with 6 Hand Grips and Durable Easy Release Plastic Buckle Posey Deluxe Transfer/Gait Belt W/Quick Release Buckle – Waist 30

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Standing Aids

Standing aids are items that help steady your favorite senior citizen when standing up or sitting down. There’s no reason to give up that favorite recliner that your elderly loved one struggled to get out of. Just add a standing aid!

 Able Life Able Tray – Multi-Use Bamboo Tray Pivots 360 Degrees + Ergonomic Safety Support Handle + Adjustable to fit most Chairs, Couches, & Lift Chairs + Lifetime Gaurantee Stander Security Pole and Curve Grab Bar – Tension Mounted Floor to Ceiling Transfer Pole & Standing Aid with Multi-Position Safety Support Handle+ Fits ceilings 7-10″ + Lifetime Gaurantee, Iceberg White Stander BedCaddie Sit-Up Support with Adjustable Nylon Strap + Three Ergonomic Hand Grips

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Standing Aids For Cars

The rehab where Mom recovered from her broken hip would not allow me to take Mom home until she could walk to the car and get in. So, that was our goal. The gait belt helped the walking as I steadied her on our way. Getting into the car could be a problem though. That is, until I found the below car standing aids.

Mom was able to hold the handle on the window and lower herself to the seat just perfectly! Success. Now, getting out, she put a hand on the portable car handle which gave her good leverage to stand right up.

 Stander CarCaddie – Automotive Standing Aid & Adjustable Safety Vehicle Support Handle Stander HandyBar – Automotive Standing Aid + Vehicle Emergency Escape Tool with Window Breaker and Seat Belt Cutter

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