By kinesioloist & falls prevention expert, Chaco Chiswell
When an 7 year-old trips and falls they shed a few tears and then bounce back to play two seconds later. As we age the bounce back after a fall is a little less, well, bouncy. A fall in your forties can lead to a slipped disc or whip lash that prevents you from making it to the office for a couple days but a fall in your 70's can lead to fractured bones, hospitalization and even death.
According to national statistics on seniors' falls [2, 6][3,7]:
• Falls are the leading accidental cause of death among seniors accounting for one third of all injury deaths among seniors aged 65 and over.
• Seniors age 65 and over accounted for 40% of all injury hospitalizations, the largest proportion of all injury hospitalizations. Falls accounted for 85% of injury hospitalizations in this age group
• In BC: 771 deaths; 3100 hip fractures; 10,000 hospitalizations; estimated that over 200,000 British Columbian will have a fall this year
• In Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH): 52 deaths; 992 hip fractures; 2200 hospitalizations; 20, 989 falls and 1631 injuries in Acute & Residential Care facilities
• 42.5 % of fall-related hospitalizations have a hip fracture; 20 % of those with a hip fracture die within a year
Those are some scary numbers for anyone over the age of 65 or for anyone with a loved one who is aging. Do you have a parent, grandparent or friend who is at risk? Some key risk factors include:
• Advanced age
• Chronic illness/disability:
• Cognitive impairment
• Gait disorders
• Poor balance
• Muscle weakness
• Poor vision
• Impaired touch and/or proprioception 2) Behavioural
• Multiple medications
• Previous fall/recurrent falls
• Fear of falling
• Inappropriate footwear
What can you do to prevent a fall?
1. Speak to a health professional. Call your doctor or Treloar Physiotherapy Clinic for an assessment or a free phone-consultation to determine if you are at risk of falling.
2. Get started on an exercise program tailored to your specific needs. There are many Falls Prevention programs available in the community. Treloar Physiotherapy Clinic offers Falls Prevention Training and a Group Exercise for Older Adults. For some basic exercises that can be done at the kitchen sink click here.
3. Know your medications. Discuss the combination of medications you are taking with a doctor to ensure they don't put you at risk of dizziness or falling.
For more information on this article of falls prevention please call 604-875-6207
1. British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU): www.injuryresearch.bc.ca/
2. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR):
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/documents/injuries_mpkit_2005_e.pdf
3. Evolution of Seniors’ Falls Prevention in British Columbia:
www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/cpa/publications/falls_report.pdf
4. Health Canada website:
http://chp-pcs.gc.ca/CHP/index_e.jsp/pageid/4005/odp/Top/Health/Seniors/Injury_Prevention/Falls_Prevention
5. List of initiatives in BC:
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/pubs/fall_prevention_initiatives/fpi-bc_e.htm
6. Report on Seniors' falls in Canada by Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC):
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/pubs/seniors_falls/index.htm
7. Public Health Agency of Canada's Safe living guide: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/pubs/safelive/
8. Seniors Fall & Injury Prevention Strategic Framework 2005-2010
9. SFU Injury Prevention and Mobility Laboratory: www.sfu.ca/ipml/index.html
