Many falls at home are preventable. You can remove clutter, add grab bars in the shower, keep items within reach and use brighter lighting. But there may be other factors contributing to fall risk that you haven’t considered. Take these actions to prevent falls:
- Focus on your eyes — Get your eyes checked at least every year. Eye diseases, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, raise the risk of both falls and fractures. The limited vision caused by cataracts also increases your risk of falling and breaking a bone, and studies show that cataract surgery reduces fall risk by 34%. If you wear bifocals and spend a lot of time outdoors, the safest choice when outside may be single-lens glasses .
- Do a sound check — Tell your healthcare team if you’re having trouble hearing. Hearing loss more than doubles your risk of falls. The exact mechanism isn’t known, but a brain that’s fatigued from working harder to hear may be linked to balance and posture issues. Research shows that wearing hearing aids each day significantly cuts your fall risk.
- Love your heart — Talk with your care team about ways to maintain your heart health. Cardiovascular disease causes fall risk to spike by 40% to 60% due to medicine use, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, fainting (syncope) or reduced blood flow.
- Restore balance and strength — You’re less likely to fall if you have strong leg muscles. Work with a physical therapist or trainer on an exercise plan that includes strength and balance exercises. Or consider tai chi, a gentle exercise that improves balance and strength and reduces fall risk by up to 50%.
- Check your medications — Ask your care team or a pharmacist for a medicine review. Some medicines can make you dizzy, confused or dehydrated, all of which could contribute to a fall. Common culprits include medicines for high blood pressure, anxiety, diabetes, depression, pain and sleep.
- Don’t forget your feet — Talk with your healthcare team about foot care, especially if you have diabetes. Pick shoes with safety in mind. Wear sturdy, flat shoes with nonskid soles even when inside your home. Replace your shoes regularly.
From the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Submitted by Nancy Rasmussen, Parish Nurse