Fall Prevention: Mobility, Balance, and Independent Living

 Opting to age in place and remain in your home is a worthy goal, but it isn’t going to be easy.   If you truly want to stay in your own home you are going to have to work hard to prove that you can do it.  One of the key indicators is whether or not you are able to stay on your own two feet.  Once again I am going to talk about fall prevention.  If you want to be independent you need to acknowledge that mobility, balance, and fall prevention are very important issues.

 

Falling and fear of falling will be your downfall if you aren’t careful.  As you get older your muscle mass, strength and balance begin to decline.  You already know the statistics: one in three people over 65 will fall during this next year.  Hip fractures are common fall injuries and can lead to loss of independence.  You have already had exercise drummed into you at every turn, but it is time to pay attention and stop ignoring this advice.  Balance and strength can be improved with exercise.

 

A Physical Therapist can be your best friend.  The book “Fall Prevention: Stay On Your Own Two Feet,” by therapists Gail Davies and Fran Scully outline in a very readable fashion how to stay on your own two feet.  If fear of falling is making your home status “iffy,” it is time to see your doctor to rule out any medical causes, review your medications (side effects) and get a referral to a physical therapist, and then follow the advice given.

 

In addition to committing yourself to a balance and strength building program, it is time to sort through your shoe closet.  If you expect your feet to provide a good source of balance you should not be ignoring or living with painful feet.  Poorly fitting shoes cause painful feet.  Pain will result in poor balance and ultimately you will be a fall waiting to happen.

 

What are some clues that your shoes might be the culprit?

• Painful feet
• Poorly fitting shoes
• Smooth slippery leather shoe soles and heels
• Shoes with too thick or too heavy soles
• High heels
• Mules
• Slippers
• Flip-flops
• Sandals

There are a lot of red flags here.  Granted there are some very good supportive sandals and slippers that are just fine, but they are the exception rather than the rule.  The best advice is to dress your feet in sensible shoes when you first get up in the morning.  If you do wear slippers make sure that they have a rubber sole and a supportive heel cover.  If you wear sandals look at the ones designed especially for walking.  They should fit properly and have flexible soles.  Avoid open-toed sandals as they can cause you to trip.  Flip-flops are a fall waiting to happen.

 

I have worked with seniors for many years and have paid special attention to their footwear.  There is no age limit on wanting your feet to look pretty and seniors are just as guilty as anyone else when it comes to selecting inappropriate footwear.  A lot of people will chose a dress shoe solely on the basis of how they look.  I remember one lady who always wore patent leather Mary-Jane style dress shoes with thin slippery soles.  Of course she had a history of falling, but she looked good when the Medics arrived.

 

 Fashion consciousness is on one end of the spectrum just as being lazy is on the other.  It is not unusual for people living in their own homes to wear slippers or sandals most of the time because they easy to slip on.  The other culprit, and I am guilty of this myself, is walking around in stocking feet.  This is dangerous at any age and it is better to walk barefooted than in socks.

 

Being concerned about your balance does not necessarily mean that you have to wear sturdy orthopedic shoes, but it is still a good idea to go through your closet and discard anything that isn’t acceptable.  It is better to have several pairs of really good shoes than a closet full of cute shoes that match every outfit.  There are plenty of companies that specialize in making comfortable and good fitting shoes.

 

Your shoes affect your ability to walk, how you walk, your balance, your posture and how comfortable you are.  If your feet hurt you hurt all over.  If you fall, your independent status is in serious jeopardy.

 

Comments

[Kevin]

Alzheimers is a serious disease that afflicts over a million people every year.And to protect seniors from them,we have to choose a right place and right senior house for them.

[james bickham]

Very Important Post for Alzheimers disease..