FALLS KILL Part 3; Are YOU unsteady on your feet?

FALL FACTS: A fall is defined as a sudden uncontrollable descent. Every 19 minutes, an elderly person dies by a fall. One in four people over the age of 65 years old fall each year. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury among those 65 and older.

The good news is that falls are preventable. This series of blogs will help you identify your risk and teach you simple techniques to implement in your own home to prevent you from becoming another statistic.

IDENTIFYING YOUR RISK

Many factors contribute to falling. Risk factors can be identified and modified to help prevent falls. Talk with your doctor about medications and vitamin deficiencies that may increase your risk. Take action as this blog series will focus on simple assessments for balance, strength, walking and environmental modifications you can implement at home to reduce your risk.

DIFFICULTY WALKING

Most falls are caused by a combination of risk factors. The more risk factors a person has, the greater their chances of falling. If you noticed you are having trouble lifting your feet off the floor, turning in a circle without support or are shortening your stride, you may be at higher risk for a fall. In my practice, I use the Tinetti Gait and Balance assessments to discover gait and balance deficits and my clients fall risk. Using these tools, you can discover your deficits and risks.

MATERIALS

• Chair with or without armrests

COMPLETE THE TINETTI GAIT AND BALANCE TEST

• ONLINE Tinetti Balance Test Calculator (thecalculator.co)

• PRINT Microsoft Word - Tinnetti Horizontal both sides.doc (ptclinic.com)

INTERPRETATION

• <19 High Fall Risk

• 19-23 Moderate Fall Risk

• 24-28 Low Fall Risk

INTERVENTIONS

If you scored less than 19, you may need to be trained on how to u se an appropriate assistive device to prevent falls when walking especially on uneven terrain or traveling to unfamiliar places. We can set up an appointment to assess your risk and recommend and train you on the appropriate equipment.

EXERCISES

These exercises can help to keep your legs strong and your body balanced to improve those test scores and reduce your fall risk. I recommend a 30 min continuous walk daily followed by these exercises to improve your balance.

• Exercises pdf

• Exercises with resistance bands and weights

• links to purchase these items

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY!

ACTION

All of the points of the test can be specific intervention points. For example, if you had difficulty with lifting your leg for the toe tap test, this may indicate weakness in your hip flexors which can be trained through a muscle strengthening program such as SLR, marching or

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