Stay on your feet; falls are preventable

By Murray Montgomery - Staff Writer

murray.montgomery@lavacacountytoday.com

Sometimes it happens so fast that a person cannot believe they have fallen. It happened to me a few years ago and I was flat on my face before I knew it. I was doing a simple thing; picking up sticks in my backyard and in a split second I was on the ground.

The statistics on fall-related injuries are staggering. Data found on the Internet and various medical sources reveal the following: 

          •         About 36 million falls are reported among older adults each year—resulting in more than 32,000 deaths.

          •         Each year, about three million older adults are treated in emergency departments for a fall injury.

          •         One out of every five falls causes an injury, such as broken bones or a head injury.

          •         Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.

          •         More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling—usually by falling sideways.

          •         Women fall more often than men and account for three-quarters of all hip fractures.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), falls are a major public health concern; especially among people who are over 65. In many cases, however, the CDC reports that falls are preventable and do not have to be a part of the aging process if individuals will take measures to protect themselves.

The CDC offers many suggestions on how older people can prevent falling. One of the first things they include is that your doctor should be told if you have fallen or if you feel that it could happen. The doctor will check your medication to see if that could be causing weakness or loss of balance.

Another thing to consider is vision, it is recommended that seniors have their eyes checked annually to be sure that poor eyesight is not contributing to the problem. Also, it is suggested that people having problems with falls, discuss proper footwear with their doctor and ask whether seeing a foot specialist (podiatrist) is advised.

After I took my tumble, the thing that concerned me the most was that I could not get up. My doctor told me that with older folks the most important thing is staying active and exercise. He highly recommended walking to build up leg strength. He said that as we age our muscles tend to degenerate and it is very important to keep them active. The CDC also recommends exercise. They suggest a workout called “Tai Chi” – there are numerous videos on the Internet about this ancient system of exercise that was developed in China. 

Finally, the reason I decided to write this article was because of the untimely death of former United States Senator Joe Lieberman. I had seen him on television just a few days prior to his death and he looked very healthy to me. Although Lieberman was 82, he did not die of natural causes; he died from a fall.