Senior Spotlight: Prevent Injuries from Falls Without Losing Money, Independence

Both pride and lack of money play into the increased injury rate seniors face from a fall, but it doesn't have to. This article will provide tips to help seniors keep independence without paying top dollar. It's important to take these measures because as we age, the likelihood of falling and injuring oneself increases at a huge rate.

Likewise, the death rate seniors face from unintentional falls, continues to rise significantly, according to a Center for Disease Control study from 1994-2003. Men are almost 50 percent more prone to falling accidents than women. This doesn't take into account the deaths that result from surgery or the general downfall that comes from immobilization, particularly after a hip fracture.

One-in-three women over the age of 65 injure themselves in a fall. After the age of 85, 50 percent of women will be injured from a fall, according to www.NetWellness.org, a non-profit health Web site that is run by faculty from Case Western Reserve University, The Ohio State University, and University of Cincinnati.

Little changes mean a lot. No one wants to lose his independence. It's humiliating. Still, we all need help at some time. The trick is in offering help in a way that allows the person to remain in control.Take a grandparent's hand in a way that tells them you've missed them, and you're just walking and having a conversation.

My daughter was married at the courthouse, and there were two older women, grandmother and great grandmother, in attendance. The grandmother used a mobility scooter, while the great grandmother walked. I walked with them, holding onto the great grandmother. I hadn't seen her in a long time, and we had lots to catch up on, so taking her hand was a natural move...which she needed.

My aim was to make sure she felt secure walking, but to any onlooker, we were just walking and talking. Men have a tendency to grab their wives by the elbows and direct them around. Don't do that to an older loved one. No one needs to lose their dignity.

Do a Site Survey. Most of the slip-and-fall accidents, approximately 60 percent, occur in the senior's own home. Sweep through the home for obvious problems.

---Lighting. As eyesight becomes an issue as we age, proper lighting is even more important for an aging loved one.

---Clutter. Seniors may have trouble storing things in cupboards, basements or attics because of impaired mobility. As a result, they fill up floor space with items they need on an everyday basis. Take care to check stairways where people often put things with the idea of moving them to another floor. Clutter becomes a more obvious issue for someone who must use a cane or walker.

---Carpeting/Flooring. Check to make sure throw rugs are secure on the floor. If you have someone using a walker, throw rugs that shift are not practical. Likewise, hardwood floors need to be checked for stability. If planks are uneven or if nails are sticking out, you have the proverbial accident waiting to happen.

---Furniture and Wood Fixtures. Look at banisters or anything a senior may use for balance or to help himself up out of a chair. People tend to gain weight as they age, so it's important to make sure that the furniture they lean on will hold that weight.

Make Small Modifications. Don't assume that it will cost a fortune to add items that lend stability to the senior. Just as a cane or walker may mean the difference between mobility and "being stuck," so can small physical changes to a home. That bit of tweaking to the homestead will provide independence.

If the senior feels unsure about walking on an uneven or slippery surface, or if the banister is shaky, he or she may avoid moving about the home. A sedentary lifestyle takes over which creates even more problems that will increase the likelihood of an injury due to a fall.

Keep on Top of Medical Problems. Some common senior-related ailments will increase a person's chances of falling and injuring himself. These include: joint, muscle or nerve damage; vision problems and diseases that affect balance. As you are monitoring the actual afflictions, also keep track of the medications. Many medications will affect balance and judgment or cause sleepiness, all things that will increase the chances of having a fall. Turn over a list of medications to your pharmacist on a regular basis, particularly if medications or dosages change, and ask him to assess them in terms of increasing the likelihood of a fall.

Finally, staying fit through stretching and exercise programs (free), will go a long way to increasing balance and improving muscle tone and strength. Anything you can do to increase wellness will beget more wellness.