Falls Prevention
Falls account for 42% of hospital admissions throughout Australia and is the leading cause of hospital admissions for people over the age of 65 years. Although it is very difficult to completely prevent a fall there are significant features that we can change to help limit the impacts of a fall. We can ultimately alter different features within our environment, physical capabilities and mental strategy.
Environment
Lighting - poor lighting will limit the amount of specific information we can gather in our surroundings, therefore increasing the chances of having a fall.
Clutter + Confined areas - The more equipment, clothes, magazines and clutter on the ground reduces how much room you can move. These also increase the potential for tripping on an object and therefore having a fall.
Stairs - Depending on the step height, stairs play a huge role in falls. If there are a lot of stairs that are high, it makes it difficult to lift your foot up and over the ledge. Your toes will then clip the ledge, increasing your risk of having a fall.
Physical
Strength - Your muscles hold you up, they support you. If you don’t practise exercise that utilise these muscles, then they become weak. If your lower limb muscles become weak, they will struggle to keep you up right and aligned, leading to a fall.
Mobility - Flexibility plays a huge role in falls prevention. If your joints and muscles are stiff, it means they struggle to adjust to altering environments and don’t “give”. If you don’t practise exercises that help build your flexibility, then as soon as you reach your maximum amount of movement, you will fall. Your flexibility tolerance reduces as you age, which is why being consistent with your exercises is paramount.
Mental
Hesitation - Sometimes heading into a situation where you don’t know the environment around you well, you will hesitate. This can occasionally result in a fall as you stop momentum.
Overconfidence - Conversely, too much confidence can result in too much momentum and trying to attempt movements in an environment, which you haven’t practised in.
Ultimately, significant amounts of evidence suggests that in order to prevent a fall, we must practice exercises regularly. It takes time to build your tolerance, so don't expect big changes early. But the most important component of preventing a fall is starting.