Everybody falls. Down the stairs, on the ice or over your own feet; it happens all the time.
For most people, falling is no big deal. But older adults face a higher risk for injuries.
One in three adults 65 and older stumble each year, and about one-third of those will suffer moderate to severe injuries, including head trauma and bone fractures.
"Sometimes falls aren't preventable, but we do need to try because the amount of life-changing difference in falls is increasing," said Dr. Christopher Espana, a geriatric specialist at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, Mo. "Meaning if you fall once it's fine, but if you keep on falling, when you break something it can spell the difference between an ambulatory individual who all of a sudden needs a hip replacement procedure and six months of physical therapy. Their lifestyle is not the same as before the fall."
Falls are the main factor in about 40 percent of nursing home admissions and the leading cause of death by accidental injury among older adults, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Falls are increasingly seen as a serious public health threat and the subject of more university-based research.
One researcher at St. Louis University studies the fear of falling as a health problem. Some older people can become so worried about falling that they lower their activity level. That can lead to muscle and bone weakness, which not only increases their risk of falling, but their risk of injury.
In the study, associate professor of nursing and lead investigator Helen Lach will offer classes for people to learn about falls and fight their fears. Lach wants to learn if weight-training classes or regular lunch appointments outside the house can help older adults build confidence in their mobility.
"Unfortunately with aging, everything is use it or lose it, and balance is the same thing," Lach said. "You have to practice balance to maintain your balance."
Lach agrees that walking on ice is tricky and slippery, and there's not much help in practicing for that. But many falls happen inside the home and can be prevented with strengthening exercises, and by removing hazards from the home.
Older people are more at risk for falling for several reasons. There may be a medical condition such as arthritis causing pain and weakness. Certain medications can make people feel dizzy and off-balance. Strokes can cause a wobbly gait. The natural loss of vision and hearing as people age can also contribute.
Balance training can significantly help people avoid falls, according to a study published in February in the Journal of Neurophysiology.
Exposing people to a randomly moving platform in a laboratory can translate into dealing with slippery surfaces in real life. The brain can generalize its training from the laboratory to the home and be better prepared to respond to a loss of balance elsewhere.
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