We’re starting this discussion with some eye-opening facts: Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in older adults. And if you consider that one in four Americans over the age of 65 falls each year, you get a better idea about just how large this problem is.
Falls are a clear and present danger as people age, and it’s one area of geriatric care that Dr. Waiho Lum and Dr. Ping Wong pay close attention to at Forest Urgent Care. While we’re here to manage the consequences of falls and fractures, we also believe that prevention is your best defense.
Many age-related factors increase your risk for falls as you get older, such as:
If you combine these realities with the loss of bone density that occurs as you age, you have the right circumstances for falls that lead to fractures.
At first, women are more prone to this bone loss thanks to menopause and the sudden decline in reproductive hormones, which explains why 80% of the 10 million Americans who have osteoporosis are women. But men do catch up later — typically in their 70s and beyond — as their testosterone levels slowly decline, which can lead to bone and muscle loss.
We want this blog to deliver proactive and preventive information, too, so let’s look at steps you can take to prevent falls.
One of the best ways to prevent bone loss is to engage in strength training. Not only does this help keep your bones strong, but it also keeps your muscles strong, which helps prevent fractures. We recommend that you add regular strength and resistance training to your daily regimen.
Another important area to boost is your balance, and a fantastic way to kill two birds with one stone is to try yoga. Through yoga, you can build strength and work on your balance at the same time.
If you’re feeling less steady on your feet, you can do a few things around the house to prevent falling, such as:
It’s a great practice to take a look around your home to figure out ways to avoid putting yourself in a position where you might fall.
If your vision or hearing is poor, make accommodations with corrective lenses or hearing aids.
It’s imperative that you have a healthcare team that can oversee your risks as you age to offer more personalized preventive care. Through our geriatric services, we monitor your health and assess your risks so we can come up with a personalized plan that helps you age as gracefully as possible.
For expert geriatric care, which includes fall prevention and fracture care, we invite you to visit our clinic in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. You can walk in seven days a week or call ahead to schedule an appointment.
