Senior Care Center1: How Falls Affect The Elderly

Senior Care Center1, a free online resource that helps families find long-term care facilities for their elderly loved ones, recently published an article on the dangers of falls for the elderly. Senior Care Center1’s team did the research, which has now been compiled into an article aimed at spreading awareness and, hopefully, preventing more injuries among elderly people as a result of falls.

Seniors are generally a lot more fragile than young people and are at great risk of being seriously injured in the event of a fall. A wide range of age-related health issues which affect their balance, bone brittleness, muscle strength and more make it so falling carries much more risk for an elderly person than it would for someone much younger. The elderly are also more likely to fall due to a number of factors associated with their age — and are more likely to sustain injuries like bone fractures as a result of a fall. Around one third of seniors living in a community setting suffer a fall each year and, as such, falls are one of the biggest health risks faced by older Americans.

“One of the biggest contributors to falls among seniors is abnormal gait,” Senior Care Center says. “This means that the motion the person uses to walk is actually deviant from the norm. This can be caused by musculoskeletal problems and low muscle tone, but abnormal gait is also a common neurological symptom. People with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or stroke sequelae, are at the highest risk of falling, and a big part of this ties into changes in gait and posture caused by nervous system damage.”

Some abnormal gaits are caused by muscle problems rather than brain injuries but most are neurological. Abnormal gaits can be divided into eight main subtypes. Unsteady gaits are identified by swaying or a loss of balance, Ataxic or cerebellar gaits feature a wide base and are distinguished by unsteadiness, neuropathic gaits feature a distinctive ‘foot drop,’ frontal gaits exhibit short steps and the person may have trouble lifting their feet off the floor, Parkinsonian gaits are identified by a lack of arm swinging when walking briskly, hermiparetic gaits involve the person swinging their leg outward in a semicircle, sweeping it around before bringing it to the floor and spastic gaits lead to the person’s legs getting crossed up in front of each other, leading to frequent tripping. Any of these abnormal gaits can and often do cause falls.

The article lists a few ways in which one can reduce their senior loved ones’ risk of falling both in an independent living setting or in an assisted living center. Throw rugs and other items that could be tripped over must be removed, for instance, along with low furniture that may not be easily spotted and easily tripped over. Cords must be secured and put away, and there must be good lighting indoors at night, especially for seniors with poor eyesight. Installing grab bars in shower or bath stalls can also help. The article offers a number of other tips that can help reduce the risk of falling, and Senior Care Center1 provides access to a number of resources that can help make taking care of elderly loved ones a bit easier.

Senior Care Center1 exists to help people find homes for their elderly loved ones. All services are free, and one can be sure that their loved ones are safe and comfortable in their golden years with Senior Care Center1. Senior Care Center1 is trusted by a number of people, and their team has received many 5-Star reviews from pleased members of the community. Marina O. who found a residential home for her aunt, shares, “Very helpful and great service! I couldn't have gone through this without the help of my Senior Care advisor. I'm glad my aunt is in a home that is fit for her needs. She needs the peace and quiet."

For more information about Senior Care Center1, visit the following link: https://srcarecenter.com/health/the-serious-consequences-of-falls-in-the-elderly/. Casey Ryeback of Senior Care Center1 may be reached for further details as well.