Staying in good physical condition as we get older is essential to enjoy life to the fullest and make the most of it no matter how old we are. Falls are the top enemy for people aged 60 and over, this is why it is important to know how to protect ourselves, or our beloved ones, against them.
Recently, R. Tremblay Jr. and C.E. Barber published a report regarding fall figures among the American population, revealing worrying conclusions.
On an annual basis, it stated that falls are reported by one third of all Americans aged 65 and older; and that two out of three people who experience a fall will fall again within six months.
As people grow older, their risk of falling increases and its consequences worsen. According to figures from the report, Americans over 75 years old accounted for more than half of all fatal falls. Regarding the consequences, one out of every 200 falls among people aged 65 to 69 resulted in a hip fracture; whereas the rate among people aged over 85, rose to one in 10 falls.
How to prevent falls?
There are two main ways of preventing falls: keeping our bodies strong and fit and using the right products and devices that will provide elderly support improving their mobility – the study pointed that at least one out of three falls in the elderly is caused by home environmental hazards.
The first requirement (and a good lifetime goal), keeping fit, can easily be achieved by practicing some sort of light exercise such as swimming, walking, doing yoga or even dancing. It is not about spending hours in the gym, but about keeping your body active.
The second requirement, minimizing the environmental risks, could be solved by adapting your everyday life to your needs and mobility circumstances. Luckily, there are a number of different products on the market designed for this aim such as stair lift for the elderly.
Installing those products will improve older people’s mobility, as well as their self-esteem. Being able to move freely and maintain their independence is also a way of feeling useful, healthy and young.
This is a guest post.
This is true. I have only fallen once in the past 5 years, and that was about 2 months ago while out running. I was on the flattest part of my trail route and found myself tumbling. I felt stupid.
I can easily understand how people fall more as they age. And of course you have people (like yours truly) who think they can still do the same things in their 50s or 60s that they could do in their 20s, and get injured accordingly.
Great suggestions for working toward avoiding falls.
Sometimes old aged people does not treated well at their old age, and they face many problems related to their health and care, so it’s very important if you plan your upcoming life before your retirement, becasue if you have already planned for hiring a home care agency at your senior age, then you don’t need to be depend on others.
Many of the people are following this now.