With fall right around the corner, there are so many things that may excite you: cooler weather, return of football, changing of the leaves, visits to pumpkin patches, all things pumpkin spice, the list could go on. But there is one thing that could stop all of your fall fun in the blink of an eye: a fall. Since we are transitioning into fall, the iMovePT team wanted to discuss some fall statistics, as well as fall prevention tips to help you gracefully transition into the new season upon us.
Don’t Fall into these numbers!
Falls in the US are costly and serious. Every year, millions of older adults aged 65 or older have a fall, actually the stat is 1 out of 4 older people fall each year. This is a scary statistic, but what is scarier is that less than half of those adults that fall actually tell anyone about it. And once you’ve fallen, your chance of falling again is two times more likely in the future.
Each year, more than 3 million older adults take trips to the ER due to fall injuries, with over 800,000 of those visits to the ER resulting in a hospitalization. Hip fractures are the leading injury as a result of falling, with 95% of all hip fractures that occur being caused by a fall.
Another common injury with falling is head injuries. Many people believe that traumatic brain injuries are typically caused by major accidents or incidents, but falls are actually the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries in adults over 65 years old.
What makes you more likely to fall?
- Home Hazards: typically seen with uneven steps, broken steps, uneven concrete or rocks in a driveway, wet leaves on the concrete during fall months, or throw rugs in the home.
- Lack of Vitamin D in the body
- Poor balance and walking abilities
- Medications: some prescription and over-the-counter medications and their interactions with one another or their side effects.
- Visual deficits
- Poor shoe wear or foot pain
- Lower leg and core weakness
- Poorly fitting assistive devices or lack of appropriate devices in the home.
Now you know the statistics and some facts about falling, as well as what makes you more likely to fall. Let’s talk about what you can do to reduce your fall risk and how iMove PT can help you along the way.
3 Ways to Reduce your Fall Risk:
- Consult iMovePT for therapy services. iMovePT will send a highly trained physical therapist to your home, office, gym, or wherever you are to perform 1-on-1 therapy services to implement a safe and effective strength and balance program. Your iMovePT therapist can also help with in-home safety assessments to identify fall risks in your home. We will make appropriate recommendations for any assistive devices or other types of equipment to improve your safety in the home. Ask your therapist to look at your bedroom, bathroom, and any other highly trafficked room in your home during your sessions together to make recommendations to improve your safety.
- Talk to your doctor. Have your doctor review your medications with you to make sure none of the medications have side effects that increase your fall risk, or if they do, that you’re aware of those side effects. Your doctor can also check your medications, especially if you are taking numerous medications, and make sure those medications don’t have negative interactions with each other, which could increase your risk of falling.
- Get your eyes checked. Make sure you are going to your eye doctor at least once a year for a check-up to reduce your risk of falling due to visual changes or deficits. Talk to your eye doctor about the types of lens on your glasses and having the most appropriate glasses for all of your activities, both inside and out.
If you want iMove PT to make sure you are ready for fall, but properly equipped to prevent a fall, have a discussion with your therapist at your next session. You can also contact us at 636.893.8312 or email us at info@imovephysicaltherapy.com.
iMove PT also offers a menu of services that are available, including Home Safety Assessments, Annual Balance Assessments, Annual Musculoskeletal Physical Exams, Custom Foot Orthotic fittings, and many more.
iMove PT will go wherever you are, whether it’s home, your office, or your home gym. You will receive 60 minutes of one-on-one specialized care every single therapy session. We look forward to keeping you and your family moving safely, effectively, and pain-free. Thank you for reading and as always…Stay Home, Stay Strong!