falls

Facebook helped find me after Mom’s fall

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Facebook Messenger on May 7th:

2:15 p.m. “Hi sherry. I think your mom is Irene?”

2:19 p.m. J/M tried to call me through Messenger.

4:08 p.m. “Your moms neighbor.”

5:53 p.m. “Please call me at ____________ it’s about your mom.”

6:18 p.m. I called J/M.

This is how Facebook helped find me after Mom’s fall. My Mom’s neighbors sent me the above alarming messages May 7th on Facebook’s Messenger. They tried several times to reach me to tell me my Mom had fallen in her home and an ambulance transported her to the local hospital. She had been down for approximately 16 hours before they found her, but she was not unconscious. My whole life changed after that 39 minute phone conversation at 6:18 p.m.

I called my daughter, a nurse, right away to tell her the heartbreaking news and then I texted my sister in Oregon. She would have the furthest to travel if she wanted to go to see Mom. Since it was getting late, I would contact my other five siblings in the morning once I found out more information. Worried about what happened and how hurt, inside and out, my Mom was, I had difficulty sleeping.

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Hip-Hope for elderly at risk of falling

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Hip-Hope
Hip-Hope Technologies

Hip-Hope cushions falls to prevent fractures in elderly

By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c

March 6, 2017

The belt-like wearable device is a high-tech Israeli response to a serious and costly health problem faced by the world’s older population.

“When his elderly mother fell and broke a hip for the second time, former Israeli Air Force pilot and industrial and management engineer Amatsia Raanan searched for a product to prevent this most common serious injury in older people.

‘Through her suffering I learned about the epidemic of hip fractures,’ Raanan tells ISRAEL21c.

Each year, nearly 3 million seniors worldwide are hospitalized due to hip fractures. Many of them experience a drastic deterioration in quality of life. And the direct annual cost of treating hip fractures exceeds $15 billion in the US healthcare system alone.

Rather than focus on better ways to treat the broken bone, Raanan decided to leverage cutting-edge technology to protect the pelvis upon impact and avoid injury in the first place. He and three cofounders developed Hip-Hope, a smart wearable device designed as a belt.”

Read more and view videos of its use

Add strength training to your workout routine

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strength training
starjournalnow.com

Strength training can benefit muscles and bones throughout life

By Lori Weinzatl, Ministry Rehab Services

March 3, 2017

“Strong bones and strong muscles go together. And both are essential to good health, mobility and independence in old age. That’s the conclusion of recent studies linking sarcopenia and osteopenia to an increased risk of falls, fractures and the possible need for long term care of older adults.

Sarco refers to muscle; osteo means bone and penia, loss.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis (a more severe loss of bone density) have long been known to pose threats to older men as well as women. Recent research has found that sarcopenia is also a hazard. And the combination of bone and muscle loss is more debilitating than either on its own.

For most humans, both muscle mass and bone density reach their peak by age 30 and decline gradually thereafter, becoming more noticeable around age 60 or 70.

But it’s not just the size of your muscles that counts; it’s their strength and ability to function–grip strength, walking speed, balance, mobility. And these, too, decline with advancing age.

Reduced muscle mass can co-exist with lower bone density or it can cause those changes. When muscles are strong, they exert a strong mechanical force on the bones around them, giving the bones what they need to stay dense and strong. Conversely, weak muscles lead to weaker bones.”

Read more about the causes of sarcopenia

Falls affect all of us

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My 83-year-old Mom who lives in Iowa fell at her home last winter.  A neighbor found her unconscious, lying on her living room floor a day or two later.  She was transported to a hospital and later to a rehabilitation center.  She doesn’t remember what happened or being in the hospital.  After a couple of weeks, she was back in her home living independently but walking with a cane.

In December, she fell twice.  Once at the hospital while visiting a dying friend.  Luckily, two orderlies helped her to her feet.  A day or so later she fell again at her home but luckily she was able to get herself upright after several attempts.  I spoke with her about the importance of setting up a system to notify someone if she has fallen and is unable to get back up.  This system would be imperative if she wants to continue living independently in her home.

A dear friend of mine notified me recently about her Dad’s (80+) recent fall.  He was hospitalized and diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.  He has also developed pneumonia.  Needless-to say, the family is extremely distraught.  In her last text to me she said, “It’s been a roller coaster ride of emotions over the past two weeks….”

“Falls affect us all—whether personally or someone we love or care about. Every second of every day an older adult falls. In 2014 alone, more than one in four older adults reported falling and more than 27,000 older adults died as a result of falls—that’s 74 older adults every day.

There are simple steps you can take to prevent falls and decrease falls risks. CDC has developed the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) initiative which includes educational materials and tools to improve fall prevention.

If I were to fall and break a bone, I wouldn’t be able to play with my grandkids. So I take a vitamin D pill each day to keep me strong. Lisa, 74

What You Can Do to Prevent Falls

Falls can be prevented. These are some simple things you can do to keep yourself (or a loved one) from falling.

falls

Talk to Your Doctor

  • Ask your doctor or healthcare provider to evaluate your risk for falling and talk with them about specific things you can do.
  • Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medicines to see if any might make you dizzy or sleepy. This should include prescription medicines and over-the counter medicines.
  • Ask your doctor or healthcare provider about taking vitamin D supplements.
falls

Do Strength and Balance Exercises

Do exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance. Tai Chi is a good example of this kind of exercise.

falls

Have Your Eyes Checked

Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year, and be sure to update your eyeglasses if needed.

If you have bifocal or progressive lenses, you may want to get a pair of glasses with only your distance prescription for outdoor activities, such as walking. Sometimes these types of lenses can make things seem closer or farther away than they really are.

falls

Make Your Home Safer

  • Get rid of things you could trip over.
  • Add grab bars inside and outside your tub or shower and next to the toilet.
  • Put railings on both sides of stairs.
  • Make sure your home has lots of light by adding more or brighter light bulbs.”

For more information and resources about older adult falls