Stand up to falls

Home Instead Hammersmith and Chiswick, a dedicated home care provider, is pleased to present a series of informative articles for the Chiswick Calendar. These articles will delve into various aspects of healthy aging, offering valuable insights and practical tips to help seniors and their families navigate the journey of aging. 

Home Instead help us Stand up to falls

A fall can be a huge set-back for an older person and can potentially cause serious injury, or even death. Falls cost the NHS more than £1 billion a year and account for 4 million hospital bed days. A fall can often be seen as the first step in the path of decline for an older person but it does not have to be this way.

With proper guidance and support at home, older people can keep their independence and stay ‘falls free’. From keeping active to eating well, there are many ways to stand up to falls. Home Instead offers FIVE key ways to help prevent falls amongst older people.

1. Keep Active

Statistics show that simple exercises can help to reduce the risk of falls amongst older people. Physical activity which maintains and improves muscle strength together with the ability to balance is crucial in reducing the risk of falls.

As we get older our muscle strength starts to decline and our balance can become worse. Becoming frailer or less independent is not an inevitable part of ageing. In fact, regularly carrying out activities to improve our strength and balance can help maintain or even improve our ability to do our daily activities and reduce the chances of falling.

DID YOU KNOW?

From the age of 40, adults lose 8% of their muscle mass per decade. This increases to 15% per decade once over the age of 70. This decline is linked to our ability to carry out activities of daily living – like getting out of a chair by ourselves or moving around on our own.

Examples of activities that improve our strength:
• Using the stairs frequently
• Strength exercises with weights or resistance bands
• Carrying heavy loads, such as groceries
• Heavy gardening, such as digging or shovelling

Examples of activities that improve our balance:
• Standing on one leg (you may need to hold on to something for support)
• Practising standing on your tip toes
• Tai Chi or Dancing

It’s important to make sure any exercise you do is suitable to your ability. For example, only take part in activities such as dancing or Tai Chi if you are confident and stable enough. If you’re not sure, ask your GP what activities may be right for you.

2. Keep your home safe

Keep the floor clear
Pick up any items cluttering the floor such as books, shoes and boxes to prevent tripping. Make sure stairs in particular are kept clear.

Tape cords or wires away
Things like stray telephone cords or electrical extension cords can easily be tripped over. Coil or tape cords next to a wall and don’t run cables across a room.

Avoid bathroom slips
Place a non-slip rubber mat on the floor by the bath or shower and fit a grab rail to use for getting in and out of the bath or shower.

Keep your kitchen in check
Put frequently used items on lower shelves and if you need a step stool to reach higher items, use one with an integral bar to grip.

Watch out for frayed rugs
Tripping over frayed or rucked-up rugs is actually one of the most common causes of falling amongst older people. The simple answer is to remove them or use a double sided non-slip backing to prevent slippage.

Keep it well lit
Use additional lighting where possible – particularly in places such as the top and bottom of stairs. Make sure that light bulbs are replaced. Use a lamp or nightlight to light your path from the bedroom to the bathroom.

Keep paving stones free from moss and algae
Paving stones, paths and driveways can be really slippery when wet, especially if there are leaves around.

You can buy products which rinse off and remove algae, or ask someone to remove it with a pressure washer.

Grit steps, walkways and paths
Spread salt or salty sand on steps if you need to go outside, particularly in icy weather.

Using a ladder
If you’re using a ladder, make sure it is at a safe angle and anchored at its base. Don’t use a ladder on your own.

Fit safety rails
Fit rails in any areas of your garden which are not level. It’s also advisable to fix an additional step and grab rail outside your property.

Electrical safety
Use a power point fitted with a residual current device (RCD) when using power tools and electric mowers. This will stop the electricity if there is a fault or the lead is cut by accident.

3. Keep Well

Being in good health can really reduce the risk of falling.

Older people with long-term health conditions are more at risk of falling. If you suffer from heart or lung problems, diabetes, high blood pressure or arthritis, there are extra precautions you should take to help lower the risk of falling.

Similarly, if you have poor eyesight or hearing, this can impact on your mobility and balance at home.

• Make sure you keep your medical appointments – make sure your eye tests and hearing tests are up to date.

• Check if any of your medications cause drowsiness or dizziness as a side effect. Your GP should review your medicines at least once a year. Speak to your GP to arrange this review.

• Report any health changes that cause weakness or illness to your doctor
as soon as possible. This could include any pain, aching, soreness and stiffness in your legs or feet, or increased difficulty walking.

• Ask your GP if you would benefit from a community exercise class to improve strength and balance.

4. Keep nourished

A healthy diet helps to maintain a healthy body and can lead to a reduced risk of falling. Healthy eating includes consuming high-quality proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in the foods eat while minimising processed foods, saturated fats and alcohol. Eating this way helps you maintain your body’s everyday functions, promotes optimal body weight and can assist in disease prevention.

Slowly reduce the amount of sugar in your diet – there are hidden sugars in a variety of foods such as ready meals, tinned goods and pasta sauces. Consider using natural foods, herbs and spices to flavour your food, and give your taste buds time to get used to the new flavours.

As we age, our digestion can become less efficient, so it’s important to include more fibre in your diet. An easy way to incorporate fibre into your everyday routine is to start your morning with a high fibre cereal such as porridge. The best source of fibre are whole grains, wheat cereals, barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts,
vegetables and fruit.

Dehydration can also cause falls so be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Alcohol can also affect your balance so it’s wise to limit yourself to one alcoholic drink a day.

5. Keep supported

If you’re concerned about frailty or your mobility, a good first step is to meet your GP so they can assess your overall health and wellbeing.

They can work with you to assess any vulnerabilities and advise on any aids which may help with daily living activities. There are many aids available to help you if you’re struggling with balance.

A stick or walker could be a useful aid when moving around. Hearing aids can work to help improve your balance. A stair lift or wheelchair can also be helpful for mobility, as can aids like a shower seat or bath lift. If you don’t already have a railing on the stairs, hand rails can be useful to keep balance.

CAREGivers from Home Instead look after more than 9,000 clients UK wide and encourage them to stay well by helping them to keep physically active.

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www.homeinstead.co.uk/hammersmith-chiswick
Tel: 0208 746 1213