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Reducing the risk of falling

Has your mother fallen recently? She’s not alone! One out of four adults 65 and over experiences a fall each year. That makes falls the leading cause of injury for older adults.

Falls are serious business
A few statistics: In the U.S. an older adult dies once every 20 minutes as a result of a fall. Disabilities from a fall include injuries that can be life changing: a traumatic brain injury or broken hip. Especially for seniors, falls pose a danger to an independent lifestyle. They often usher in a permanent need for daily assistance.

Who is at risk for falling?
Has Mom or Dad fallen twice in the past year? Have you noticed balance or gait problems? Has there recently been a severe fall? These are signs of “high risk.” Other signs involve poor vision, or taking medicines that list dizziness as a side effect.

A fall risk assessment
To be safe, ask your relative’s doctor to do a fall risk assessment. This includes a review of

 

Preventing falls
A recent review of numerous studies show that some strategies are better than others. The most effective measures for preventing a fall include:

 

Are you worried about a fall?
As the Roanoke and Lynchburg expert in family caregiving, we at Gentle Shepherd Hospice understand the difficulty of your situation. You can’t be too forceful about changes. And at the same time, the consequences can be pretty serious. Put our experience to work for you. Give us a call at 800-789-0586 (toll-free).

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