More than one in four older adults fall every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These falls can cause serious injuries that affect their ability to live independently. Even when falls don’t result in injury, the fear of falling again may impact their quality of life.
While falls are common, they’re not an unavoidable part of aging. There are many things active older adults can do to protect themselves, starting with understanding why falls occur.
What Are the Most Common Risk Factors for Falls?
One of the difficulties of fall prevention is the many factors tend to contribute to them. The more risk factors a person has, the more likely they are to fall.
Some of the most common causes of falls in older adults include:
- Home hazards
- Poor footwear
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Medications
- Muscle weakness
To reduce the risk of falling, try these ten simple tips.
1. Get Regular Exercise
- Regular exercise has many benefits for your body, including reducing your risk of falls. Exercise programs that incorporate more than one type of physical activity are most effective for fall prevention, for example, muscle-strengthening, aerobic exercise, and balance activities.
2. Wear Sensible Shoes
- Shoes with smooth treads, high, and narrow heels can contribute to an increased risk of falling. Properly fitted shoes with non-slip soles are the safer choice. Wear these shoes indoors, too. Being barefoot or wearing socks or slippers can mean a higher risk of falls.
3. Consider Medication Side Effects
- Many medications have side effects like lightheadedness, reduced alertness, or slower reactions that could contribute to a fall. Antidepressants, antihistamines, sleep medications, and high blood pressure medications are just some of the many drugs that could come with side effects. To find out if your medications could put you at risk of falls, talk to your doctor.
4. Take Your Time
- Go slow when you’re on the stairs, and never rush to answer the door or phone. When you get out of bed or out of a chair, take it easy. Many older individuals experience temporary dizziness if they get up quickly, which can lead to a fall.
5. Get Regular Eye Exams
- Vision impairment more than doubles the risk of falling, so it’s important to get regular dilated eye exams. These exams help your optometrist diagnose vision-threatening eye conditions, like glaucoma, at an early stage. If you wear glasses, update them as you prescription changes.
6. Get Your Hearing Tested
- Hearing loss among older adults is common, and those with mild hearing loss are nearly three times more likely to fall. If you think you have a hearing loss, get a hearing exam. If you already have hearing aids, wear them for the entire day, even when you’re at home.
7. Remove Tripping Hazards in Your Home
- Six in 10 falls occur at home. To reduce your risk, remove tripping hazards. Remove clothes, papers, and other clutter from the floors, and secure electrical cords away from walking paths. Avoid using small rugs, and secure larger rugs with double-sided tape.
8. Prevent Falls With Home Modifications
- Simple modifications around the home can help you prevent falls. If you don’t already have them, install secure handrails on both sides of your stairs. Install grab bars near toilets and inside your shower. Consider replacing slippery flooring with carpets or unglazed tiles.
9. Store Items in Easy Reach
- To reduce your risk of falling, avoid standing on chairs, stools, or stepladders. Keep frequently used items on low shelves so you can reach them safely. If you need to retrieve items from high shelves, consider using a reacher or grabber. These hand-held tools can help you grab things that would otherwise be out of reach. Some even have attached magnets to make it easier to grab metal items.
10. Use Mobility Aids, If Needed
- If you feel unsteady when you walk, mobility aids can help you prevent falls. These aids include walkers or rollators. Standard walkers have four legs with non-slip tips to provide stability. Rollators are similar, but they have wheels, and you don’t lift them as you walk. Ask your doctor what mobility aids will best suit your needs.
Many older adults fall every year, and some experience serious injuries as a result. Fortunately, falling is not inevitable, and older adults can take steps to reduce their risk. To learn more about how to keep older adults from falling, talk to a doctor.