Falls amongst the elderly population are a common occurrence. Having an appreciation that you or
a family or friend are at potential risk is half the battle. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), around one in three adults over 65 who live at home will have at least one fall a year, and about half of these will have more frequent falls. This alarming figure doesn’t even include the rate of near misses.
Although most falls don’t result in injury they can lead to:
- Broken bones
- Loss of confidence
- Loss of independence
Falls in the older population can happen for a number of reasons: balance problems and muscle weakness, poor vision and long term health conditions eg low blood pressure.
Physiotherapy can play a vital role in identifying and improving these potential risk factors.
There are a number of changes that you can make in your home to reduce the risk of falls:
- Remove clutter, trailing wires and rugs.
- Organise your home so that stretching and bending are kept to a minimum, and to avoid bumping into things.
- Don’t walk on floors in socks or tights
- Don’t wear loose-fitting, trailing clothes that you might trip up on.
- Wear well fitted shoes that are in good condition and support the ankle.
- Take care of your feet by trimming toenails regularly and seeing a GP or chiropodist about any foot problems.
- Get help with doing things that you are unable to do safely on your own.
- Fit a personal alarm system so that you or your relative can signal for help in the event of a fall.
Here at Central Health Physio we provide a one to one individualised Falls Prevention Programme, consisting of:
- A six week strength and balance exercise programme
- An initial 60 minute consultation with one of our physiotherapists followed by five or six 30 minute circuit-based exercise sessions.
- An option of a physio home visit with one of our Occupational Therapists to discover any falls risks associated with your home, and advice on any adaptations if needed.
For further details or any queries, please get in touch.
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