Simple Ways To Prevent Falls In Older Adults

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As we age, the risk of falling increases and becomes increasingly perilous. A fall can be a real health set-back for a frail, elderly person. And, more older adults are dying from falls today than they used to 20 years ago. A recent study showed that more than 25,000 U.S. adults aged 75 years or older died from a fall in 2016, up from more than 8,600 deaths in 2000, and the rate of fatal falls for this age group roughly doubled.

Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, professor and chief of geriatrics at Oregon Health & Science University: "A lot of older adults and a lot of physicians think that falling is inevitable as you age, but in reality it's not.

For most people it's not just one bad thing. It's not just your balance, or it's not just your vision, or it's not just one pill that you're taking. If somebody wants to reduce their risk of falls they should really think about all of the various ways: making sure you're wearing the right shoes; using a walker if you need it; getting off those risky medications. It's really important to tend to all of those little details to really get your fall risk as low as possible. I encourage people to just work on that really, really hard. It's worth the trouble.

I think our older adults are starting to [be more active], and that also is going to put you at risk for falling. I always tell people to please not be sedentary to prevent falls. That's the worst thing you can do. You've got to be out and active, but being out and doing things does allow you to put yourself in a position where you could fall.”

full article @
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/14/741310765/simple-ways-to-prevent-falls-in-older-adults