SPRING FORWARD "Fall": NEVER!

[Guest Prosoft Admin]

When I was younger, I would not hesitate to climb a tree, walk across a log, or even climb a mountain! 

Now, although I do it, when I think about getting down, I am much more tentative.

I don’t know about you, but over the past few years I have even noticed my parents using their hands on their thighs or the chair hand rests as a necessity to get up! 

They also seem to look down more frequently as they walk, especially outside on uneven ground.

Have you noticed any of the following in YOURSELF or A LOVED ONE? 

·   Difficulty negotiating your way to the bathroom at night, and/or in the dark?

·   Using both hands to push yourself up out of a chair?

·   Reaching to grab something to pull yourself up out of a chair, or off of the toilet?

·   Keeping your eyes focused on the ground more and more as you walk, especially in new places? 

·    Depending on the hand-rail to navigate up and down stairs?

·    Tentative to go DOWN a step, or curb without support?  

·    Painful knees, hips, or ankles with a “hitch in your get-along” Note:  (If you actually know what a “hitch in your get-along” is, then I am speaking to you directly!)

·     Losing your balance more frequently?

·     Feeling dizzy when you stand up?

·     Not being able to see as well as you used to?

Well, you are not alone!

Every 8 seconds in the US someone turns 60 years old! 

While I believe that age is a state of mind, and 50 is the new 20 (humor me), the fact is that as we pass the 60-year mark, we often fight the effect of decreased physical activity  and the natural aging process.

These are the years that you begin to experience the effects of decreased muscle mass, risk of osteoporosis, decreased vision or use of bi/trifocals, an increase in the number of medications taken, changes in bladder control and just plain gravity.

You may notice difficulty standing on one leg to get pants on. You may get that stiff feeling in your ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, or spine.  (You may recall  even the last time you tried to turn around to back out of your driveway that it used to be easier!)

Studies show that these are just some of the factors that predispose us to falls.

A “Fall” is defined as an unintentional loss of balance which the person comes to rest on the ground, floor, OR a lower level.  

As a matter of fact, 33 % of people over 65 years old WILL fall and that rises to 50% of us after we reach 85 years old! In 2005, 433,000 people were hospitalized with injuries after a fall and a staggering 15,800 deaths occurred as a consequence of the fall itself or a complication from it.

Falls account for over 81% of fractures over the age of 66!  The estimated cost of individual expenses as a result of these falls cost $19 billion in 2000 with the projected expectation of $55 billion in 2020!

I would say that this issue is a huge burden to our health care system as well as to each of us affected with the repercussions of a fall individually wouldn't you!?  

So what does this mean for you? 

Is there anything that you can do to prevent, or slow these aging processes?

First, you need to find out if you are at risk.

Take this quick little quiz:

Y   N      1.  Can you get out of a chair without use of your hands, or chair rests?

Y   N      2.  Do you take more than 4 medications per day?

Y   N      3.  Can you stand on your right leg alone for 10 seconds?

Y   N      4.  Can you stand on your left leg alone for 10 seconds?

Y   N      5.  Do you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night in the dark? (including a nightlight?)

Y   N      6.  Are you comfortable standing on your tip toes and reaching over your head for something?

Y   N     7.  Can you comfortably bend over to pick up something off the floor without something to hold on to?

Y   N     8.  Have you fallen, OR lost your balance in the last 3 months?

Y   N     9.  Have you had a Urinary tract infection in the last 3 months?

Y   N     10.  Do you get dizzy when you turn your head quickly?

If you answered YES to more than 2 of these you are at risk for a fall!! 

The more questions you answer YES to, the higher the risk. 

Anything above 5 and you are at very high risk of a fall!

Over the next two weeks we will be offering a series of hints to help you stay safer, and avoid falling.

They include:  

1.  Fall Proof your Home: These are things you can do right away to insure that your home is as safe as possible for you.

2. Fall Proof your Life: Start looking at your present health and make sure the proper medical personnel are working with you.

3.  How to “Get up and Go” independently:  For those at lower risk (1-4) of the above predisposing factors, Peak Performance will provide you with a program to improve your balance and strength. 

For those of you at high risk, a supervised exercise/balance program and gait screening may be necessary. 

Feel free to contact your physician to clear you of any medical issues, and then contact Karen at Peak Performance Physical Therapy at 218-0240 for an initial evaluation and custom tailored fall prevention program.