Fall prevention tips for elderly

Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury death within the ages of 65 and up. Falls are common but can be preventable. “About 36 million falls are reported among older adults each year—resulting in more than 32,000 deaths. Each year, about 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for a fall injury. One out of every five falls causes an injury, such as broken bones or a head injury. Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures. More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling—usually by falling sideways.” With these numbers in mind read the tips below to help prevent the risk of falls and start to take steps to stay safe.

• STAY ACTIVE. Do daily exercises, walks, and go up and down stairs to keep your leg muscles strong. Strong muscles can improve your balance and reactions, take strain off painful joints, and make daily activities easier. 

• MAKE YOUR HOME SAFER. In order to make your home safer you may want to remove throw rugs, clutter and other falling hazards that may cause you to trip and fall. You can add grab bars in bathrooms or handrails throughout your house. You may want to improve the lighting in your home and/or add nightlights. Better lighting prevents fewer falls.

• USE ASSISTIVE DEVICES. Examples of assistive devices may include reachers, canes, walkers, wheelchairs and more. Assistive devices reduce accidents such as falls and help increase safety. Older adults should seek advice from family members, doctors and occupational therapists to see which assistive device would suit their needs best.

• SPEAK UP. It is important to talk to your doctor about fall risks and prevention. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy to help if you have fallen, if you're afraid of falling, or if you feel unsteady. Physical therapists are movement experts. 

The expert team at Reddy Care Physical, Occupational and Aquatic Therapy, has extensive experience in using physical therapy and gait analysis to restore balance and help prevent falls.  They can spot potential problems with your strength and posture that may contribute to your balance and gait problems. Using this information, they develop a personalized treatment plan that may include:

• Targeted exercises to strengthen weakened muscles
• Stretches to improve flexibility
• Changes to your footwear

Physical therapy using gait training techniques is the most effective tool for treating balance disorders, helping you to regain your strength, stabilize your footing, and improve your posture and overall balance. As a result of your therapy at Reddy Care Physical, Occupational and Aquatic Therapy, you’ll feel more confident and aware on your feet and have significantly less chance of falling. 

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*Home therapy servicing Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx & Manhattan*

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Sources: CDC, Heathinaging

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Written by:

Dr. Vinod Somareddy, PT, DPT

President

Reddy Care Physical Therapy

Reddy Care Occupational Therapy

Reddy Care Aquatic Therapy

Author

Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy is an outstanding specialty service providing exceptional care and state-of-the-art treatments for the residents of Farmingdale and Great Neck, New York. The combination of innovative exercise programs, manual therapy, and technology together with the expertise of every member of the team enables Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy to provide services that ensure superior clinical outcomes and consistently high patient satisfaction.