Fear of falling is a common stressor and concern for people as they age. You may have experienced a fall in the past, worry that your balance may become uneasy as you age, or know someone in your life who experienced a fall. A fall is any event that leads to unplanned, unexpected contact with a supporting surface (i.e. the floor).
Geriatrician, Dr. Nicole Didyk, associate clinical professor at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, recently spoke for the American Society on Aging (ASA) about the impact of falls on older adults, fall risk factors, and evidence-based fall prevention strategies.
Evidence shows that falls cause over 50% of all injury-related deaths of older adults and are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations in people over the age of 65. According to CDC in 2023, almost 30% of community older adults fall annually. A cycle is typically evident when an older adult experiences a fall. Once a fall happens our fear of falling may increase, leading to avoidance of certain activities/less activity involvement, resulting in deconditioning, and eventually, another fall. Then the cycle starts again.
The cause of falls is multifactorial and typically a combination of vulnerabilities in multiple body systems, combined with medications, and environmental factors. Dr. Nicole Didyk discussed several risk factors that affect falls later in life including physiological, sociodemographic, medical, pharmacological, environmental, and behavioral risk factors. Some examples of these risk factors include balance deficit or impaired vision (physiological), steep stairs or absence of handrails (environmental), and agitation/confusion (behavioral). The more risk factors an individual has, the higher the risk of falling. Additionally, people living with dementia experience two times as many falls as non-dementia people.
So how do we address falls later in life? There are practical steps that can be taken to reduce our risk of falling. One of the biggest fall prevention strategies that is most effective is engagement in movement and exercise. Here are some examples of helpful exercises for fall prevention:
● Gait and balance training
● strength/resistance training
● Adding movement to your at-home routine (i.e. sit to stand exercises while watching TV, heel/toe raised while standing at the sink/counter)
Normandale Center for Healing & Wholeness offers a course called Matter of Balance. It is an evidence-based course developed by Boston University and Maine’s Health’s “Partnership for Healthy Aging” designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults.
Our next Matter of Balance course will take place virtually and is hosted in partnership with Sabathani Senior Housing, one of Minnesota’s oldest African-American-founded nonprofits. The course will run from September 4th until September 30th from 10:00 am-12:00 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Consider attending by registering at the link below:
Please note: Due to Labor Day this class will run Wednesday to Wednesday.
Additionally, Normandale Center offers more evidence-based programming and support services for caregivers. You can visit our website to learn more about our services at https://www.normandalecenter.org/services
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