How To Stay On Your Feet
And Prevent A Fall

Falling as we get older can become a common problem and while most falls don’t cause serious injury, there is every chance that a trip or fall can leave us feeling distressed or in pain. More than one in three people over the age of 65 fall each year, with the risk of falling increasing as we age.

Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to prevent falls and reduce the risk of injury, such as making some simple changes to your home, staying hydrated and consulting your doctor with your worries.

Many Older Adults Are Worried About Falling

The fear of falling becomes more common as people age, even amongst those who haven’t suffered from a fall before, and can even cause older people to begin avoiding certain activities like going for walks, shopping, or joining in on social activities.

While older people are more vulnerable to falls, especially if they have long-term health conditions, you shouldn’t let the fear of falling keep you from being active. Overcoming the fear of falling and striving to stay active can maintain your physical health and help prevent future falls.

Causes For Falls

Many things can cause you to fall, from your eyesight and hearing causing you to fall to your medication or diet making you dizzy at times. Dulled reflexes, existing health conditions and wearing the wrong shoes can all increase the risk of falling in the home.

Most falls and accidents have a causing factor and rarely “just happen”. Being aware of these causes and what you can do to minimise the risk will help prevent falls and keep you healthy and confident.

What You Can Do To Prevent A Fall

Some health conditions, medications and footwear can affect your ability to stay steady on your feet. If you take care of your overall health, you may be able to lower your chances of falling. You might not notice your health changing as it can happen gradually, so it’s important to have regular checkups so any issues can be picked up before they cause a fall.

Stay Active

As we get older, our muscle strength and balance can become reduced, which can be a common cause of falling. Staying active and regular exercise improves muscle strength, reflexes and balance, which can help to reduce the risk of falling as we get older. Staying active can also keep your joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, preventing injury.

Eat Well & Stay Hydrated

Eating well and staying hydrated are important as you get older and can help keep you healthy and active. Not drinking and eating enough can cause you to feel light-headed, which can cause a fall. You should aim to drink between six and eight glasses of fluids a day and eat well and keep an eye on your appetite and make sure you are eating well. If you are struggling to eat 3 main meals a day, try to eat smaller amounts more often throughout the day.

Check For Hearing Or Sight Issues

As we get older, our hearing can get worse and our eyesight can change, which can both cause a loss of balance, leading to trips and falls. Even small changes in your sight and hearing as you get older can lead to falls. Be sure to get your eyes and earring tested regularly, at least every 2 years. This will help you discover any problems early and get the necessary treatment to prevent your balance and coordination from suffering.

In addition, new glasses or contact lenses can cause you to become disorientated and fall, so take the time to get used to them. Be sure to always wear your glasses, contacts and hearing aid when you need them to prevent falls. Always tell your doctor if you are having vision or hearing difficulties.

Manage Your Medication

Certain medications can make you feel faint or dizzy and affect your balance. Always ask your doctor about any side effects of any medication you take and tell the doctor if a drug is making you sleepy or dizzy as they may need to check the dose or look at alternatives.

Get Enough Sleep

If you aren’t getting enough sleep or are often tired, you are more likely to fall. Try and get the right amount of sleep each night to keep yourself active and aware during the day.

Support Your Bone Health

Maintaining your bone health as you get older is important for both preventing falls and preventing any injuries, such as broken bones. Try and keep your bones healthy by eating foods rich in calcium, getting enough Vitamin D from sunlight and by doing exercises that improve your bone health. Having weaker bones increases the chances of suffering a break if you fall.

Wear Sensible Shoes

Problems with your feet or shoes can affect your balance and increase your risk of tripping or falling. Make sure your shoes fit well, are well cushioned and have a good grip and fasten properly. Wearing non-skid, rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes, or lace-up shoes with non-skid soles that fully support your feet can help prevent you from slipping and falling.

Use An Assistive Device If You Need It

If you have been encouraged to use a cane or walker by your doctor, it is important that you do use it. If your doctor tells you to use a cane or walker, make sure it is the right size for you and the wheels roll smoothly. An assistive device can help prevent falls, especially if you are walking in areas with uneven walkways.

How To Make Your Home Fall Proof

Many slips, trips and falls happen in or around the home. Being aware of the hazards in your home and how best to avoid them can reduce the risk of falling significantly.

Avoid positioning rugs or mats and the top or bottom of the stairs as these can be trip hazards and can easily lead to a fall. In addition, be sure to keep these areas clear of anything that could trip you.
Also, remove any further trip hazards such as cables, clothes or clutter from around your home. In addition, try to avoid glass furniture as it can be harder to see and could cause you to become disoriented and fall.
Install a night light in your bedroom near the bed so that if you do awake in the night it is easier to find your way around. If preferred, you can instal a motion-activated light that comes on when you get up in the night.

What To Do If You Are Concerned About Falling

If you have suffered from a fall and are concerned that you may fall again, or if you are concerned about falling for the first time, it can cause you to lose confidence and to avoid certain activities, such as leaving your home. However, there are things you can do to reduce your concern about falling and to make you feel more confident and in control.

Talk To Your Doctor

It is important to plan ahead and discuss the risks of falling with your doctor. They may be able to perform a falls risk assessment which will work out what’s making you more likely to fall. They can also draw up an action plan to reduce your risk of falling.

Personal Alarm

Personal alarms allow you to call for help in the event of a fall. Pressing a button on a pendant or wristband you wear all the time will alert a 24-hour response centre. The staff at the centre will then call out the best person to help you – a neighbour, relative or friend, or emergency services.

Arrange Live In Care

Here at Consultus, we believe that Live-in Care is the perfect care service for those who are looking for some additional support while staying in the comfort of their own home. With Live-in Care from Consultus, one of our dedicated Live-in Carers will come and stay with you or your loved one in their home and provide one-to-one personal care, including assistance with mobility and reducing the risk of falls.

If you are concerned about falling in your own home and would like a little more support, or if you would like to discuss your options in more detail, get in touch with our friendly and helpful team by phone on 01732 355 231 or by email at care@consultuscare.com.

CALL: 01732 355231

How To Stay On Your Feet And Prevent A Fall