Falling: How to Prevent a Life Threatening Injury
I watched though my kitchen window as Helen, my new 91 year old neighbor carefully walked down her inclined driveway to retrieve her morning newspaper. With the aid of a cane, she cautiously bent down, grabbed the plastic wrap on the paper and made it back through her front door without incident. That was in direct contrast to what happened to Millie, another neighbor of mine who was in her late 80’s. Even though she walked carefully, Millie did not use a cane.
One morning we had both walked from our front doors to pick up our newspapers. I looked up just in time to see Millie lose her balance and tumble to the pavement, landing on her back. I immediately called 911, then rushed over to assist her. Her right arm was twisted around her back. She was conscious, but clearly in severe pain. The paramedics arrived within five minutes and whisked her off to the hospital. She remained in the hospital for a few days recovering from broken bones, and a severely injured back. That unfortunate accident precipitated a series of events that forced her to become wheelchair bound.
I was 25 feet away from an elderly lady when she fell while standing in a waiting area of a buffet restaurant in a casino in Las Vegas. I did not see her fall, but heard her painful cry as she struck the marble floor. She lay prostrate on the floor, obviously in excruciating pain from multiple injuries and a broken right arm. The bone of her right arm protruded through her skin. Blood oozed from the open wound onto the floor. Within minutes she was surrounded by Casino Security personnel, paramedics and her grief stricken friends. It was with great difficulty that the paramedics were able to slide her injured body onto the stretcher for the ride to the hospital. Her accident altered not only her visit to Las Vegas, but affected the schedules of her friends and relatives.
When my mother fell a few years ago, we were walking from the car to a movie theater. A misstep caused her to trip. Because I was walking in front of her, I did not witness the fall, but heard the sound of her body striking the pavement. When I turned around she was lying flat on her face. As I helped her up, she brushed herself off, grabbed my arm and began walked, haltingly toward the movie theater. A visit later in the day to the ER proved there were no broken bones, however by the following day, the skin around both eyes turned black for the next 10 days. She was shaken by that experience and it wasn’t long after that incident that she bought a cane. I’m pleased to report she has not fallen in the past 8 years. I’ve managed to raise her awareness level to the point that when she walks anywhere, she realizes the need for safety.
As we age, we need to raise our awareness for potential hazards. The single most devastating risk for seniors is falling. A human body striking the ground makes a perturbing sound: visualize a large duffle bag full of clothes dropped from a height of 10 feet to the ground. It is the weight of the body that causes the damage. According to the National Safety Council, each week more then 30,000 Americans over the age of 65 are seriously injured in a fall and nearly 250 die from their injuries. Of those who do survive a fall, 20-30% experience debilitating injuries that affect them the rest of their lives. The most common injury from a fall is a hip fracture. More than 25% of all people suffering from a hip fracture die within a year of the fall and another 50% never return to their prior level of mobility and independence. These statistics are factual and shocking; they should serve as a wake up call.
Yet, most falls can be prevented. Because almost half of all falls occur in the home, take steps to make you home safer. Remove anything you might trip over, papers, books, shoes etc. from your walking areas. Use double sided tape for small throw rugs so they don’t slip. Keep all items you need on shelves that you can easily reach without a stool. Use non-slip rubber mats next to the toilet and on shower floors. As we age, our eyes require brighter lights to see well. All staircases should have handrails and good lighting. Wear shoes that have non-slip soles. Always choose safety over fashion. Visit your optometrist to have your vision checked.
As we grow older, adjustments to our lifestyle become a necessity. Complete acceptance of what we can or can not do is the ultimate choice we need to make to insure our well being and safety.
