Older Adults and Falls Prevention

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Older Adults andFalls Prevention
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• If you have parents or grandparents who are in
  their senior years, you probably know that they
  are at an increased risk of falling.

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Vicious Fall Cycle

• Having a fall can create a vicious cycle for
  increasing the risk of having more falls.

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• In addition to the obvious physical effects,
  falling can lead to
• Lower confidence levels
• Loss of independence
• Lower quality of life

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Some Alarming Facts
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• 65 of all injuries are the result of
  unintentional falls for those aged 65 and older
  (Canadian Institute for Health Information,
  2006)
• 62 of injury-related hospitalizations for older
  adults are the result of falls (Public Health
  Agency of Canada, 2005)
• 47 of falls by older adults that required
  hospitalization occurred in and around the home
  (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2005)

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Risks of Falling

• There are many interrelated reasons why older
  adults have an increased risk of falling.
  Biological, medical, behavioural, and
  environmental factors include
• Increased muscle weakness and reduced physical
  fitness in balance, flexibility, and
  coordination.
• Reduced ability to react quickly to a loss of
  balance.
• Changes in vision.
• Changes in health, such as developing arthritis,
  osteoporosis and other chronic diseases.

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More Risks of Falling

• Taking certain medications, alone or in
  combination, can cause drowsiness, dizziness, or
  weakness.
• Inadequate diet, particularly low intakes of
  calcium and vitamin D needed for bone health, and
  low intakes of protein needed for muscle
  strength.
• Fear of falling, leading to inadequate balance
  control and lack of confidence.

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Alcoholand Falls

• Drinking too much alcohol can also increase
  the risk for falls in some people, especially
  older adults.

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HomeSafety

• There are also unsafe conditions or hazards in
  the home and community that can increase the risk
  of falling.

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The Good News Is
Falls CAN be prevented!
Falls CAN be prevented! Falling does not have to
be part of normal aging. There is a lot that
can be done to prevent older adults from falling.
Certain risks can be eliminated and others can be
greatly reduced with the following

• Physical fitness
• Eating well
• Review of medications

• Vision and hearing aid use
• Home safety measures

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Physical Fitness

• Maintaining and regaining physical fitness has
  many benefits when it comes to preventing falls.
  Increasing strength, flexibility and aerobic
  capacity all play a role. More specifically,
  benefits include
• Improved balance
• Increased mobility
• Reduced ability to react quickly to a loss of
  balance
• Increased bone density

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Physical Fitness

• Doing almost any kind of physical activity will
  help decrease the risk of falling. The key is to
  do a variety of activities.
• Encourage the older adults in your life to try
  something new. Or, consider some of these
  activities for yourself to prevent the risk of
  falling later on. Some suggestions include

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Physical Fitness

• Yoga or Tai Chigreat for increasing flexibility
  and balance
• Stability ball trainingespecially helpful in
  improving abdominal and back muscle strength and
  balance
• Walking and swimminggreat for increasing
  muscular endurance and aerobic capacity
• Bowling and curlingfun team sports that help
  increase flexibility and strength

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More Tips on Physical Fitness

• Older adults who are currently inactive should
  speak with their doctor before starting any kind
  of physical activity program.
• Its important for family and friends to support
  those who are trying to be more physically fit.
• Older adults should begin any new physical
  activity slowly, at a comfortable pace.
• For more information, visitwww.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pa
  u-uap/paguide/older/index.html

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Eating Well

• Having a pattern of healthy eating helps improve
  and maintain overall strength and energy levels
  needed for everyday living and vitality.
• In general terms, healthy eating includes

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Eating Well

• Lots of VarietyEating foods from the four food
  groups in the NEW Canadas Food Guide
  vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and
  alternatives, and meat and alternatives.
• 7 to 10 Servings of Vegetables and
  FruitIncluding at least one dark green and one
  orange vegetable each day. Fresh, frozen, or
  canned theyre all good.

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Eating Well

• Plenty of Whole GrainsAt least 50 of breads,
  cereals, pasta, and rice should be whole grain.
• Foods Low in Saturated and Trans FatSelect lean
  meat and alternatives prepared with little or no
  fat, along with lower fat milk choices. Also,
  limit butter, hard margarine, lard, and
  shortening. To replace these, choose small
  amounts of vegetable oils such as canola, olive,
  and soybean.

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A Note about Vitamin D

• In addition to following Canadas Food Guide,
  both women and men over the age of 50
  yearsshould take a daily vitamin D supplement of
  10 micrograms (ug) or 400 International Units
  (IU).
• Taking this supplement is important for bone
  strength and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis
  and fractures.

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• For more information on the NEW Canadas Food
  Guide,visit www.canadasfoodguide.org

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Reviewing Medications

• Review on a regular basis the use of prescription
  and non-prescription medications with the doctor
  or pharmacist.This will help identify whether or
  not dizziness or sleepiness is occurring which
  could increase the risk of falling.
• If these side effects occur, changes in
  medication use may then be recommended.

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Vision and Hearing Aids

• Glasses and hearing aids are important to safety.
  They assist older adults in their daily lives in
  many ways.

Wearing proper prescriptions for glasses or
hearing aids can help a person see or hear better
in order to identify potential falling hazards.
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Home Safety

• Making changes in the home will help reduce many
  potential falling hazards.This will help an older
  adult maintain their independence and quality of
  life a lot longer.
• Most of these changes are easy to make. The
  following few slides offer some suggestions

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In the Kitchen
In the Kitchen

• Store everyday items, like pots and pans or
  staple foods, within easy reach. These items
  should be kept between knee and shoulder height.
• Keep heavy items in lower cupboards and
  lightweight items in higher cupboards.
• Wipe up spills immediately to prevent slipping.

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In the Bathroom
In the Bathroom

• Use non-skid mats in the bathtub and shower, and
  a non-skid bathmat on the floor.
• Install a night light in the hallway and
  bathroom.
• Consider installing grab rails in the bathtub and
  shower.

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In the Living Room
In the Living Room

• Move electrical cords and other floor clutter out
  of the way to prevent tripping.
• Leave enough space around furniture to move
  around easily.
• Eliminate throw rugs, even those with non-skid
  undersurfaces.

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On the Stairway
On the Stairway

• Have hand rails on both sides of the stairs.
• Install lights and switches so that all stairways
  are well lit at the top and bottom.
• Avoid storing things on the stairs.
• Cover stairs with a well-secured rubber treading.
• For more information,visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca/senior
  s-ainesenter stair safety as a search term.

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Remember
Preventing falls is one of the most important
ways to preserve and protect independence well
into the senior years.

• preserve and protect
• independence

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Key References

• Canadian Institute for Health Information.
  (2006). National trauma registry 2005 report
  Major injury in Canada. Ottawa, ON Author. 
• Government of Ontario. Safety and security
  falls prevention. (2006). Retrieved March 2,
  2007, from http//www.seniorsinfo.ca/en/categories
  /626
• Health Canada/Veterns Affairs Canada. (n.d.). You
  can prevent falls By reducing the risks! Ottawa,
  ON Author. 
• Public Health Agency of Canada. (2005). Report on
  seniors falls in Canada. Ottawa Minister of
  Public Works and Government Services Canada.

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Other Resources

• Latest Health Issues newsletter Think Smart
  Injuries Arent Accidents
• Latest wellness brochure Drivers Your Attention
  Please
• Other electronic presentation Bicycle Safety
  What You Should Know