Seniors & Falls - Fall Prevention, Exercises, Quality of Life, Overcome Fear of Falling

[appalachiablue]

- NCOA/Natl Council on Aging, Falls Prevention Programs That Work. Stay independent, stay falls free. (22 mins). * Falls Prevention programs are available around the country in a variety of settings. The workshops help you improve strength, balance, coordination and flexibility and they really do prevent falls.
Workshops are more than just exercise, you can learn about trip hazards, how medications can increase your risk of falling, and how to overcome fear of falling.
-----------
National Council on Aging, 'Get the Facts on Falls Prevention,' Aging in America, May 30, 2025. - Edit.

- Key Takeaways, 1 in 4 Americans age 65+ falls each year.

The financial toll for older adult falls is expected to increase as the population ages. In 2020, non-fatal older adult falls totaled about $80 billion in health care costs. - Falls can be prevented. NCOA’s Falls Prevention Resource Center and the Falls Free® Initiative promote effective falls prevention strategies for older adults. Most of us know someone who has experienced a fall, or we have fallen ourselves.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for older Americans.

But through practical lifestyle adjustments, evidence-based falls prevention programs, and clinical-community partnerships, the number of falls among older adults can be substantially reduced. The challenges of falls for older adults
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other falls research: 14 million, or 1 in 4 Americans age 65+, falls each year. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults. In 2021, falls caused 38,000 deaths among those age 65+, and emergency departments reported 3 million visits due to older adult falls. Among older adults who fall, over half receive care in a hospital; the estimated annual average cost per inpatient visit for falls injuries is $18,658 and $1,112 per emergency dept. visit..

- Falls risk factors: Get to know these common risk factors for falls, take the *Falls Free CheckUp to check your falls risk, and talk with a health care provider about how to reduce your risk for falls. * Falling once doubles the risk of falling again. People with VISION LOSS have almost twice the risk of falls as adults without vision impairment. People with HEARING LOSS are nearly 3 times as likely to fall compared to those with normal hearing, but wearing a hearing aid reduces the risk of falling by 50%. LOWER BODY WEAKNESS and difficulties with walking and balance increase someone's risk for falls. CERTAIN MEDICATIONS can have side effects and interactions, such as dizziness and fatigue, that increase the risk of falls. CHRONIC CONDITIONS such as diabetes and arthritis can increase the risk of falls due to neuropathy, pain, and other symptoms that can affect walking and balance. HAZARDS in the home, including clutter, poor lighting, and lack of supports such as grab bars, can cause falls. Home modifications can address these hazards to reduce falls risk in the home.
* Falls, with or without injury, also carry a heavy quality of life impact. A growing number of older adults fear falling and, as a result, limit their activities and social engagements. This can result in further physical decline, depression, social isolation, and feelings of helplessness. Falls threaten the safety and independence for older Americans and can create a heavy economic and personal burden... - More,
https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-falls-prevention/
---------
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention/CDC,
Older adult fall prevention. Falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 years and older. Older adult falls are common, costly, and preventable...
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/index.html

[karin_sj]

1. Very useful info

Thanks for posting it.

[appalachiablue]

2. You're welcome, thanks for posting! I can't vouch for the specialist in this Video Below

but it definitely woke up several of us, seniors who tried the movements and failed at some! (It's AI but that's not so impt. to me).

We were surprised and stunned because all thought our exercise level and activities were OK. Not so, three of us couldn't get up out of a chair without using our arms, and more. Embarrassing and a call to action!
------
I've read that bathrooms and kitchens with their hard, slick surfaces are where many falls in the home happen..

[GreatGazoo]

3. A good friend, 70YO, fell two weeks ago

and now has inoperable spine injury. Scary as heck. Especially this time of year.

For many in assisted living or similar environments, a fall with injuries sets them up for a UTI because they wind up in bed or othewise not walking for an extended period of time. UTIs can produce mental health impairments (mood swings, confusion, hallucinations, agitation) which are becoming better understood but remain yet another threat to independent living.

Falls are absolutely something we all need to be aware of, to avoid and to minimize the effects of. I was taught how to fall the best ways in sports like skiing and volleyball. Decades later it has helped me on a couple occasions in that split second when you know you are falling and you want to react my grabbing for something, stiffening or extending your arms and hands outward. Better to kind of roll with it. Your head, hands and spine are the worst things to take that first impact. Watch toddlers! We all knew how to do it at a young age.

Choice of shoes makes a difference in prevention too.

[appalachiablue]

4. So true, and good points about uti's and rolling to lessen physical impacts. Lucky you

learned that vital move in sports. Like UTIs, bedridden people in facilities can also contract chest infections, pneumonia and more. Medical specialists and more well know this is unfortunately the road to decline, the end.

As mentioned in post 2, friends and I failed a couple of these exercises in the video and were stunned. I hear you about injuries, a good friend, very active, health conscious is still in a rehab facility in PA after a fall on steps with spinal injury from a year and a half ago.

And last year a cousin in Minn. fell down steps at home, got to the hospital thanks to a friend and then fell again in the ER and died of a heart issue, so they said. Just tragic and possibly neglect. Anyway, Happy New Year, here's to life, and thanks.

[GreatGazoo]

5. There is a saying in veterinary science "If it lays down it stays down"

meaning that injuries which affect mobility can be a quick path to complications and the end.

I am a big believer in "muscle memory", specifically the idea that by visualizing the right way to move your body you can replicate it. We have to see it done the right way so that we have that in our mind. I think this is pretty good. He focuses on protecting your head, wrists and hips by using your forearms:

Another mistake that I am always ready for is if you or someone else falls well-meaning people will often try to make you stand up ASAP. Be ready to say "Wait!" or "No!"