Slips and falls can cause seniors many serious injuries, like hip fractures and other broken bones. Often trips to the hospital are necessary. Pictured here, a woman sits on the floor waiting for help after slipping in her bathroom.
By LOIS KINDLE
As we grow older, losing our balance and taking a fall becomes more significant because aging folks suffer more serious injuries. In Sun City Center, for example, emergency responders are reporting the number of falls among residents is going up, as are trips to the hospital as a result.
Not that younger people don’t fall, but they generally are able to do it without hurting themselves. This is not the case for many seniors.
During February, the Sun City Center Emergency Squad received 152 fall-related calls for assistance, which was 42% of its total calls that month. Of those, 83 of those who’d fallen were transported to the hospital by the squad or Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
“The main reasons seniors fall include balance issues related to their vestibular (inner ear) system, eyesight problems and neuromuscular weakness or conditions,” said Robin Watt, an EMT with the squad. “They all work together to keep us upright, so the sooner you start thinking about this and becoming more active in keeping theses sensory systems functioning, the better off you are.
EMT Robin Watt, left, and Linda Eargle, DPT, both of the Sun City Center Emergency Squad, specialize in fall prevention for seniors.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTO
“The body is a lot like a car. In order to keep it moving, it needs to be used,” she added. “A car sitting on blocks rusts and becomes unusable. Likewise, the more sedentary our bodies become, the harder it is for them to function as they should.
Other reasons people fall include side effects from medications or adverse drug interactions, dehydration, arthritis, osteoporosis, tripping and more.
“The older we get, the greater the risk of falling becomes,” said EMR Linda Eargle, doctor of physical therapy and the emergency squad’s falls prevention coordinator. The odds are one in four for people over 65 and one in two for people 85 and older.”
Isolation and inactivity during the COVD-19 pandemic have only worsened matters.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are things seniors can do to reduce their risks of taking a spill.
1. Keep all of your doctors up to date on every medication and supplement you’re taking. Let your primary care doctor know if you have fallen before and how it happened. Be sure to disclose anything going on with your health and how you feel when you walk, including any dizziness, joint pain, shortness of breath or numbness in your feet and legs.
2. Keep moving
Continued physical activity is essential in fall prevention. With your doctor’s approval, try walking or pool walking on a regular basis, pool workouts or tai chi to improve or maintain your strength, balance, coordination and flexibility. If you need help becoming more active, physical therapy or a monitored exercise program might be necessary. Physical therapists are experts at helping people learn ways to improve balance and gait.
3. Wear sensible shoes
Ditch the high heels, floppy slippers and shoes with slick soles, and avoid walking in your socks. Properly fitted, sturdy shoes with nonskid soles are essential.
4. Remove home hazards
Get rid of anything in your walkways or high-traffic areas that you could trip over, things like cords, boxes, coffee tables, magazine racks or plant stands; secure loose rugs with double-faced tape, tacks or slip-resistant backing (better yet, remove them altogether); clean up any spilled liquids, grease or food immediately; use nonslip mats in your bathtub or shower; and consider using a bath seat while showering.
5. Light up your living space
Keep your home brightly lit to avoid tripping on objects that are hard to see. Night lights in your bedroom, bathroom and hallways are especially helpful, as is having a lamp within reach of your bed; make sure the lights are on before negotiating stairways; have a flashlight handy.
6. Use assistive devices
If your physician recommends a cane or walker, use it. Other assistive devices like hand rails and nonslip treads on wooden steps and raised toilet seats or ones with armrests and grab bars in the tub or shower can also help.
Eargle, 76, describes herself in “good shape,” yet she has had several falls of late. Her training talks on fall prevention are based on her own personal experience.
“If I keep falling, eventually, I’m going to either tear something, break something or (in a worst-case scenario) die,” she said. You’ve got to exercise every day. Even little challenges to your balance go a long way.
And she shared this thought as a piece of further advice for Sun City Center seniors.
“If you fall, call the squad,” she said. “Don’t try to get up yourself or ask someone to help you. We have special equipment to keep people safe from further injury.”
Eargle is available for virtual or in-person meetings for church groups, senior living facilities and organizations serving seniors at no charge.
To reach her, email lkeargle@yahoo.com or call 813-938-1603.
