Improve Joint Care and Safeguard Your Home to Prevent Falls
The risk of falling increases with age, but you can prevent falls by exercising, managing your medication, visiting your doctor and making your home safer.
Falling Is a Serious Health Risk
Every 11 seconds, a senior visits an emergency department with a fall-related injury. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls caused 38,000 deaths in adults older than 65, making it the leading cause of injury death for that age group.
National Falls Prevention Awareness Week is Sept. 23-27. This initiative aims to ensure the safety of elderly individuals, decrease the likelihood of falls and raise awareness in communities about preventing falls. Falling is not a natural part of aging, but a fall can be devastating to mobility and overall health.
“Falls are the number one reason that older adults are institutionalized,” Daniel Frering, Mount Sinai Light and Health Research Center (LHRC) education program director, told LEDs Magazine. “Especially in much older people, people in their 80s — they typically don’t live a long time after they fall. If you can prevent falls, the health outcomes for older people are going to be greatly improved.”
Why Are Older Adults More Prone to Falling?
Many risk factors contribute to falling, and these factors tend to increase with age. Some include the following:
- Vision problems
- Difficulty with balance or walking
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Medications
- Unsafe home setup
Commit to Daily Exercise and Joint-strengthening Activities
Exercise can reduce your risk of falls and minimize joint damage. You do not have to do strenuous activities to build muscle to support your joints.
“It doesn’t mean that you have to go out and start running marathons or anything like that, but simply [do] functional exercises,” said Cara McDermott, who researches falls at Duke University School of Medicine.
If your doctor approves, try to do these exercises three to five times per week:
- Heel-toe walk — Stand with your arms straight out and your feet side by side. Focus on a specific point ahead of you and move one foot forward, aligning the front heel with the back toe. Make sure they are touching. Take 10 to 20 steps.
- One-legged balance — Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your hands on your hips. Lift one leg, bending at your knee, and hold for 30 seconds. Alternate with the other leg. Do five cycles or as many as you are comfortable doing.
- Sit-to-stands — Stand tall with your back facing a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart. Slowly lower your hips onto the chair and sit. Without swinging your upper body, push through your heels to stand up. Do at least 10 sets.
Walking, cycling and swimming are gentle on the joints and strengthen quadriceps and hamstrings. Ask your doctor what type of cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercise is appropriate for your age and fitness level.
Optimize Your Home Setup for Long-term Joint Health
Older people often fall at home, the place where they should feel safest. Hip fractures are one of the most dangerous fall injuries, and recovery is difficult. Many people are not able to live independently after breaking a hip. To reduce your risk of falling, consider making these changes to your home:
- Arrange furniture so you have clear walkways.
- Keep electrical cords near the wall and avoid using long extension cords.
- Install grab bars in the bathroom, bedroom or front door to provide balance.
- Add non-slip material to stairways.
- Install bright LED bulbs, touch lamps and automatic night lights.
- Keep a flashlight in every room of the house in case the power goes out.
- Put pots, pans, dishes and glassware in a place where they are easy to reach.
- Install railings on both sides of any stairs in the home.
- Add a raised toilet seat to your bathroom and a shower chair to your shower.
- Purchase step stools for every room of your home.
Proper footwear is essential for stability and balance. Wearing supportive shoes will also help you feel stable and safe in your home. Try to avoid wearing socks or going barefoot, because you are more likely to slip and fall.
Visit Your Primary Care Doctor to Evaluate Your Medication
Prescription medication, over-the-counter medicine and even supplements can increase your risk of falling. Your doctor should regularly review your medication and look for the following:
- Therapeutic duplication — two medicines performing the same function
- Medicines that cause confusion and dizziness, such as antihistamines, muscle relaxants, blood pressure medications and psychoactive drugs (antidepressants, sedatives, opioids, anticonvulsants or antipsychotics)
- Medications that can cause heart problems like a low pulse or high/low blood pressure
- Inappropriate use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) for patients at risk for GI bleeds
- Effectiveness of opioid prescriptions and alternate options
You should also visit your eye doctor annually to make sure your prescription is up-to-date.
Take the Falls Free Checkup and Call Your Orthopedist
Have you had a recent fall, or are you afraid of falling? Take a moment to complete the National Council on Aging’s Falls Free Checkup and see if you are at increased risk for a fall. Individuals with arthritis have a 2.5 times higher risk of reporting two or more falls and suffering a fall-related injury compared to those without arthritis.
It may be time to make an appointment with your orthopedist to discuss your concerns. If you are experiencing chronic joint pain, talk to your doctor about your medical history and health conditions. You may find that weight loss and physical therapy can bring you relief.
In some instances, it may be most beneficial to replace the hip or knee joint. A total knee or total hip replacement replaces damaged cartilage and bone with prosthetic pieces called implants. Most patients find that a total joint replacement reduces pain and improves their mobility and quality of life so they can maintain their daily activities.
Call today to make an appointment.