Fall prevention is up to you

Did you know that falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults and the most common reason for hospitalization of older adults in Canada? More than 95 percent of hip fractures are caused by falling.

The good news is that falls can be prevented. Be proactive by doing strength and balance exercises to improve strength, mobility and endurance. Evaluate risks around the home to help identify ways to make it safer (for example; grab bars, or a chair on a rail to go up and down stairs).

It turns out that exercise – alone or in combination with other strategies – can help reduce the chance that older adults living in the community will fall.

For older adults, the risk of falling is very real. In 2010 it was reported that a staggering 256,011 people reported a fall-related injury.

There are several causes that may contribute to the risk of falling in older adults including chronic conditions, balance problems, poor vision, cognitive impairment, side effects from medications, improper footwear, and previous falls. Even walking can be risky, with many fall-related injuries occurring when older adults engage in this activity. The fear of falling in older adults is no laughing matter.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep your feet safely on the ground. Exercise, for example, is well known to prevent falls in long-term care homes. But what can exercise do for the 92% of older adults in Canada living independently in the community?

One review found that exercise alone, carried out 3 times per week for about 12 months, may lower the risk of falls generally, and specifically falls that lead to injuries. Most studies evaluated strategies focused on improving walking speed, balance, and muscle strength.

Beneficial exercises included tai chi, resistance training, and exercises aimed at improving flexibility. While the exercise was sometimes associated with minor pain, bruising, or fall-related injuries/fractures, it did not increase the risk of serious injuries.

Another recent meta-analysis showed that exercise alone or combined with other strategies prevented falls, and particularly falls leading to injuries. Strategies such as orthotics, hip protectors, patient quality improvement initiatives (i.e. self-management, education), and environmental assessment and modification activities, when combined with exercise, were all found to reduce the risk of experiencing a fall.

The risk of more serious falls leading to injury was reduced when exercise was combined with vision tests and treatment. If at the same time efforts to eliminate risk factors from one’s environment were added then the risk of falling fell dramatically.

The results of the review also indicated that exercise combined with certain strategies could lead to an increased risk of falling, as well as increased risk of an injury as a result of a fall caused by increased mobility. So there is a caveat here any risk should be balanced with the need to improve mobility.

For older adults still living at home, falling should not be considered inevitable. There are many things that can be done to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Exercise may be an excellent option, but you should speak with your health care provider, and consider your own values and preferences when deciding which strategy is best for you.