Falls Prevention, Reducing the Risk of Falls as You Age

How do you reduce the risk of a fall as you age? 

Falls are one of the major contributors to hospitalisation in Australia with 43% of all admissions due to a fall. Most of these are at home and in our elderly population(>65)  and this figure has been increasing on average 2% since 2017.i 

Although these statistics may seem high and cause stress, there are so many strategies that you can do to help reduce your chances of having a fall. Often the fear of falling can cause high anxiety and this is where changes start to happen in your surroundings and activities. Some of these are positive, but many negative and in fact contribute more to the likelihood of having a fall as you age. 

Let’s focus on the extrinsic (outside) and intrinsic (inside) factors that you can control. 

Changes to extrinsic (outside) factors in your environment can certainly help to reduce the risk of having a fall.  

These include: 

• Remove obstacles and tripping hazards Ike rugs, electrical cords and be careful of pets. 
• Slippery flooring 
• Installing hand rails in bathroom and stairs. 
• Poor or dim lighting. 
• Poor footwear 

This is where the majority of attention is given when is come to falls prevention.  

But intrinsic factors are just as important and often overlooked on their importance. 

Modifiable Intrinsic factors that can decrease your chance of having a fall include 

• Muscle weakness 
• Gait (walking) and balance problems 
• Fear of falling 
• Postural hypotension 
• Poor vision 

 

Medications can certainly affect dizziness and blood pressure. If you are experiencing dizziness as you change from lying, sitting or standing, please discuss this with your GP to ensure that they are not contributing to the likely of having a fall. 

Focusing on these modifiable intrinsic factors including muscle weakness, balance and flexibility can reduce the incidence of falls significantly (up to 23%ii) and reduce the fear of falling and improve confidence in everyday activities.  

Simple targeted exercises prescribed by an exercise physiologist is one of the most positive strategies to help you reduce your chance of having a fall as you age. As an added benefit these exercises will contribute to other positive factors in your life including independence and quality of life as you continue to be able to do all the activities you enjoy on a day to day basis. 

Don’t let the fear of falling narrow your life down, be proactive about falls prevention and seek the support from an expert in this area. 

Our Strong and Steady Falls Prevention Program is a 4 week exercise program that is designed to help you reduce the risk of falling with balance training and functional strengthening exercises. This program is bulk billed if you have a GP Management Plan from your doctor. Once you have completed this individual program you can move into our ”Strong and Steady” classes to continue with the support from our Exercise Physiologists. 

Don’t wait for a fall to occur before you put these positive steps in place. 

To find out more about more about becoming strong and steady as you age contact us 3325 3678 

 

Vicky Graham

Accredited Exercise Physiologist