Prevention of falls in the elderly

Weak limbs in the elderly often cause many problems in life, especially falls. Assessing the risk of falls in the elderly helps us to prevent the consequences of falls as well as to prevent the risks that can cause falls in the elderly.

As the age increases, the elderly often have more gait problems, about 20-40% of the elderly over 65 years old have gait problems and the figure is up to 40-50% in the elderly over 85 years old. .
Changes in gait along with the degeneration of the organs of vision, sensation disrupts balance control in the elderly, so it is easy to fall, besides, the elderly often have many underlying diseases Various disorders such as blood pressure and heart rate disorders... lead to frequent use of the drug causing many side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, making the elderly more prone to falls.
Fall in the elderly is a rather serious problem and needs more attention because of the following reasons:
This is the 5th cause of death in the elderly High risk of recurrence and prognosis often not good The cost of treatment for falls in the elderly is often very large. The consequences of falls in the elderly are often higher than in young people, especially the elderly, the key bones are, the risk of falls leading to disability is high, Falling in the elderly also creates many mental effects, causing the elderly to live in a state of fear of falling, emotional disturbances, anxiety, stress, etc. to quality of life.

Falling is not an uncommon problem in daily life, depending on the case, falls cause more or less impact on the person who falls. However, for the elderly, falls are one of the leading causes of injury and even death.
There are many different causes of falls in the elderly, including:
Environmental factors such as: clothing, household furniture, lighting, slippery floors... Problems caused by walking unbalanced, walking too fast, missing steps... Muscle weakness in the elderly who do not regularly exercise, have a stroke or have problems such as thyroid disorders, adrenal gland disorders... Arthritis : Causes the elderly to limit movement and gradually leads to muscle weakness, atrophy, affecting walking Dizziness, lightheadedness Falling: A sudden fall due to low blood pressure, cerebral ischemia, Cardiovascular problems... Elderly people with certain diseases are more likely to fall: Postural hypotension, hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, anemia, alertness disorder, confusion, vestibular disease, parkinsonism, sensory disturbances, bone and joint diseases, muscle damage... Vision problems: Elderly people often have many different vision problems, which partly affect to life as well as increasing the risk of falls for not seeing clearly. Using some drugs has side effects such as drowsiness, confusion, decreased reflexes... especially studies have shown that using 4 or more drugs has a high risk of causing falls, regardless of use. what medicine.

Falling in the elderly is especially dangerous, so to prevent possible falls, families with elderly people aged 65 and over should pay attention to the following ways to prevent falls:
Going to the doctor: Elderly people are often afraid of medical examination, but family members should encourage regular check-ups. In addition to early detection of potential diseases and the earliest possible treatment, the doctor will give many advices on health care and prevention for the elderly, especially falls.
Maintaining daily movement makes the elderly healthier, more resilient, and better at maintaining balance than inactive people. There are many forms of exercise for the elderly to choose from such as nourishing exercise, walking, swimming, tai chi... However, elderly people should only choose simple forms of gentle exercise to limit them. maximum possible injury due to sports training.
A good pair of shoes makes the elderly walk more firmly, should choose shoes that fit their feet, have anti-slip soles, have straps, limit wearing flat sandals and high heels.
Limit the dangers in the house, especially families with elderly people. Should remove decorative or important household items out of the way, should fix carpets or buy anti-slip mats, if there is liquid spillage, it must be cleaned immediately, in the bathroom must be equipped. anti-slip mats...
Always make sure there is enough light in the house, light switches should be placed in conspicuous places such as the two ends of the stairs, night lights should be turned on in bedrooms, bathrooms or hallways for convenience elderly people walking...
Using assistive devices such as canes or walkers for the elderly, it is recommended to install handrails in the bathroom...
For more advice on health care for the elderly age, you can contact Vinmec hospital system nationwide, a team of experienced doctors will directly examine and give useful advice.