Weakness:
Weakness in a person’s legs and trunk leads to gait difficulties (including difficulty picking up one’s feet, decreased coordination, bent knees/hips). People who are weak typically complain of feeling unsteady on their feet and struggle getting out of chairs or off the toilet.
Everyone starts to lose strength within 3-5 days after strength training has stopped. So many older adults cannot afford to lose any strength because they are just getting by.
Most people neglect their fitness regimes as they get older: only 25 percent of 65- to 74-year-olds, and 11 percent of people 85 and older say they exercise regularly, according to a recent study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Balance:
As we age, we need to retrain our bodies on how to maintain balance. People forget how to move properly because they have been practicing poor habits or have needed to go into “survivor” mode due to illness or injury.
Everyone can improve their balance regardless of their age or diagnosis. It is essential to improve leg strength and practice moving in large movements without support. Retraining the body is needed so that ankles and knees become the primary balance technique.
Fear of Falling:
Research shows that if an older adult is fearful of falling, they are three times more likely to fall than someone who is not. The fear causes the person to be more rigid/stiff with their movements, take small steps, grab for objects while walking, move more slowly, and become less active. All those actions increase the risk of falling.
Inner Ear Dysfunction/ Vestibular Disorder:
Crystals in your inner ear help to maintain balance. The crystals can become displaced in many ways, but when this occurs people may feel “dizzy” when they quickly turn their head, bend over, or are in crowded areas.
Schedule an appointment with an ENT or a physician that specializes in Vestibular disorders. They can do a full screening to eliminate this problem. In some cases it is reversed/fixed in only 1-3 sessions.
Vision:
Wearing the wrong glasses, bifocal, or having an incorrect prescription can lead to vision troubles. People with cataracts or glaucoma have one of the highest fall rates because of their limited vision. When it is dark/night vision becomes unreliable, and falls are more likely to occur. Many older adults cannot judge if they are standing up straight unless they can see a wall or chair to align them in an upright position.
Schedule regular appointments to get eyes checked and glasses adjusted. Make sure if someone does wear glasses they store them on their nightstand so they are at easy access if they need to get up in the middle of the night. The use of a night light or clapper will also help.
Hearing:
Those with a hearing loss also have an increased risk of falling. It is one less sense to help maintain balance. Hearing problems can also cause ringing in the ears which is a distraction that can lead to falls.
Schedule regular appointments to get ears checked and cleaned.
Medications:
Many medications have the side effect of dizziness or light-headedness that can lead to a fall. Taking more than four medications, psychoactive medications (medications that affect brain function like anti-depressants, pain relievers, seizure medications), medications that lower blood sugar and blood pressure medications all increase risk of falls.
Have your doctor or pharmacist look at all your medications — including ones that do not need prescriptions, such as cold medicines.
Blood Pressure:
Transitional movements, such as standing quickly or going from lying down to sitting up, can cause light-headedness due to a drop in your blood pressure (postural hypotension).
Have a medical professional check the blood pressure lying down, sitting, then standing, and record if there is a difference. Report this information to the primary physician because some medications also cause a drop in BP or the person may be dehydrated. The key for someone experiencing such a thing is to rest and wait for the dizziness to stop before standing or moving.
Environmental:
Low chairs, throw rugs, poor lightening, electrical cords, unsteady railings, and slippery bathroom floors can all increase a person’s risk for falls.
Have a medical professional check the blood pressure lying down, sitting, then standing, and record if there is a difference. Report this information to the primary physician because some medications also cause a drop in BP or the person may be dehydrated. The key for someone experiencing such a thing is to rest and wait for the dizziness to stop before standing or moving.
The ideal height of a chair or bed is when an individual’s knees are one inch lower than their hips when sitting.
Having armrests on the chair will assist an individual to push and not pull, to stand up.