5 Aspects That Might Contribute to a Bad Fall in Elderly

There is some extreme suffering that can come about from a broken leg or a broken hip, especially if you are in your 60's. A massive fracture like a broken hip usually comes about from a nasty fall, and its effect can be personally earth-shattering. There are a variety of factors that can lead to a nasty tumble. The following will look at present factors that can lead to a fall.


Tripping, Slipping and Loss of Footing

The most common reason is loss of footing.Loss of footing happens when the foot is not completely making contact with the ground when you are taking a step. This may happen if you walk on highly uneven ground or when going up or down the stairs.
Loss of traction on the other hand occurs when the ground is slippery. The possibility of fallingis greatly increased when these two conditions are present. Tripping is also a big danger for senior citizens, especially when wallking on an uneven surface or a protruding throw rug. Tripping can also happen when using the stairs or walking on the sidewalk o near the curb. Also, your probability of taking a tumble goes up when you try to use items for a ladder when they weren't meant to be used as a ladder. These could be boxes, desks or flimsy chairs.

With Age Our Reflexes Become Compromised

Old age also brings about the slowing down of our reflexes. Reflexes are simply automatic nerve responses to a given stimuli such as a car cutting you off, someone abruptly walking into your path etc. Your reflexes usually kick in when you are out of balance and about to fall. Our reflexes degrade over time as our reaction time to stimuli becomes slower as we age. And this leads to our next contributing factor.




Decreasing Muscle Mass Into Old Age



As we age, we lose muscle mass. In general as we get older, most of us become less physically active and more sedentary. We lose muscle mass especially in our legs, making it harder to avoid a potential fall. Also, injury can more easily come about with less fat protecting the skeletal system.
Losing muscle mass at an old age is not an inevitability. That is why very regular physical fitness routines for the elderly are useful to stay strong, alert and in balance.

Side Effects Due to Medication

It's very common for elderly folks to be taking one or several medications for various chronic conditions. If you have a medical condition that already implairs your mobility, medication may further exacerbate your sense of balance and increase the possibility of a fall.

Failing Eyesight



And lastly, as people grow older, their eyesight often starts to fail. Usually, the eyesight can be corrected with glasses. In most instances with the elderly, bifocals or trifocals are prescribed. This can be dangerous when walking in that the lenses might induce a loss of balance. It's often better not to look down when wearing the bifocals as they can be disorienting.


Staying safe and healthy will be the number one priority when we grow older, and avoiding falls should be at the top of your list.




Find out about more health tips for the elderly at http://www.medicalalertforseniors.org