Simple ways to prevent falls

Let’s talk about falls, or rather preventing falls.  Why do I spend so much time on this unpleasant topic?  Falls are one of the leading causes of fractures, disability, nursing home admissions and death in people over age 65.

The Maine Highlands Senior Center and the Thriving in Place work team on Community Collaboration has started a Fall Risk Reduction Work Group to try to tackle this problem in our communities. Our goal is to improve the vitality of every member of our communities and reduce hospitalizations.

Mayo Regional Hospital outpatient clinics recently tallied the number of ER visits for falls for just one month in their practice population and found 16. It is likely that at least twice this number of people actually fell and did not go to the ER or report it.

CA Dean Hospital reported 3 percent of all their ER visits were for falls from November to May and of these, over half resulted in significant injuries.  It is known that if a person falls once, they are more likely to fall again and ultimately injure themselves.

Falls can happen at any age, but they are more common as we age due to a variety of medical realities: our muscles become generally weaker, our nervous system begins to slow down so the signals we need to remain upright are sluggish, and our vision which is essential to maintaining balance deteriorates. The good news, however, is that we can prevent falls in several simple ways.

First, we need to fall-proof our homes by removing rugs and obstacles that can trip us up.  We need to bring high items down to our level to avoid the need to climb on stools and chairs or to reach high over our heads (reaching can upset balance as we age). We need to have regular eye exams and accommodate to our visual changes and glasses when we walk.  Walking in the woods with bifocals can be quite a challenge, I have found! I now try to remember a walking stick for balance in the woods when I am mushrooming.

Also, we need to train our muscles and nervous system to keep them in tip top shape.  That means we must exercise to strengthen our muscles and “train” our balance center in the brain.  Our group is promoting all exercise that promotes balance and strength, and there are many places and programs to choose from.

Walking daily is an excellent and inexpensive start, although in Maine in winter it is hard to maintain this.  There are many excellent walking trails locally in each town.   The YMCA and other gyms can provide year round exercise opportunities.  Community Fitness in Guilford is a local facility that has many affordable programs including fitness machines, yoga classes and in October they will be offering a program developed by the Agency on Aging called  “A Matter of Balance, Managing Concerns About Falls,”, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the 6th through the 29th. noon to 2 p.m. Refreshments and workbook are provided. There is a $10 fee for all eight sessions with scholarships available if needed.  For more information please call 876-4813.

Finally, coming soon will be a free program offering Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) taught by local martial arts instructor John Haggerty at the Centre Theater lobby. This is an ancient art widely practiced in China which is easy to learn and fun which integrates centered breathing, and gentle meditative movement intended to refine and reinforce the flow of qi, or energy, in the body while calming the mind.  It is ideal for developing balance. Stay tuned for more information.

To be part of our team or for more information call Dr. Lesley Fernow, 992-6822 or email lmfernow@rcn.com and put “Fall team” in the subject.