Preventing slips and falls for seniors

Reduced Physical Activity

You become less active as you age due to health challenges, aches and pains, and fatigue. Reduced activity can lead to muscle wasting, osteoporosis, and Type 2 diabetes. All of these conditions further increase the risk of falling.

Muscle wasting involves the gradual loss of muscle tone. When you lose muscle in your legs and feet, you could experience balance problems as the muscles needed for balance weaken. As you age, your reflexes start to slow down. Combined with weakened muscles, this can make it more difficult to catch yourself when you trip or lose your balance.

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone mass. As bone density decreases, the way you walk may change, reducing balance. It also increases the risk of broken bones from falls.

Fear of Falling

Older adults often develop a fear of falling after a fall. This fear might cause you to avoid physical activities and social events. This response is understandable because falls are more likely to occur while walking or engaging in physical activity.

However, abstaining from too many activities can further weaken your muscles and bones, increasing the risk of another fall. Avoiding social activities can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and disconnectedness, which may increase the risk of falling by up to 33 percent.

Depression

A Chinese study found a strong association between falls and the following four depressive symptoms in adults over the age of 45:

• Difficulty concentrating

• Sadness

• Feelings that everything is “an effort”

• Disturbed sleep

These symptoms can affect how well you think, concentrate, and function. You may walk differently and have trouble balancing due to being exhausted. Keeping your home clean and free of fall hazards may require more effort than you can muster when you are experiencing depression.

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss triples the risk of falling, although the reasons are not completely known. Some conditions that affect the inner ear, which controls balance, might also cause hearing loss. In other cases, researchers speculate that hearing loss creates an added burden for the brain. Hearing loss may also decrease your ability to understand your body’s position in relation to your environment.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain, disability, and limitations in older adults. It affected 21.2 percent of adults in the United States from 2019 to 2021. Arthritis causes inflammation and damage to the joints. If you have arthritis in the hips, knees, or ankles, the pain may force you to limp or change your walking style. This can weaken your muscles and throw you off balance, increasing the risk of falling. Arthritis is also one of the most common reasons doctors prescribe medications that increase the fall risk.  

Medications

Certain medications commonly prescribed to older adults can cause dizziness, drowsiness, slower reaction times, and a lower level of alertness. These effects increase the risk of falling. The following over-the-counter and prescription medications can cause them:

• Tranquilizers

• Sedatives

• Antidepressants

• Antipsychotics

• Anticonvulsants

• Benzodiazepines

• Opioids

Fall-Proofing Your Home Checklist

Most older adult falls happen at home. When you live alone, falling can be a traumatic experience, and you may have difficulty getting the help you need. Many of the everyday comforts of home can be health hazards when you are already at risk of falling. The checklist below provides simple strategies you can use to prevent falls in your home.

Bathroom

• Use a nightlight after dark.

• Place non-slip mats or tape in areas that get wet.

• Secure the non-slip mats with two-sided tape.

• Do not install mats in the bathtub or shower.

• Use a shower chair for bathing and showering.

• Install grab bars in the shower and near the toilet.

• If you are in a wheelchair, use a transfer chair to shower.

Kitchen

• Store dishes you use often in easy-to-reach areas.

• Avoid tall barstools in dining areas.

Bedroom

• Make sure the path from your bed to the bathroom is clear.

• Keep a working lamp next to your bed.

• Keep a flashlight near your bed and use it if you get up during the night.

• Keep a phone near your bed in case of emergencies.

All living areas

• Use bright lighting throughout your home.

• Keep walkways clear of cords and clutter.

• Eliminate throw rugs, especially small ones.

• Tape down any rugs you cannot eliminate.

• Promptly clean up leaks and spills.

• Make sure floors are dry before walking on them.

• Avoid using floor wax that creates slippery floors.

• Wear shoes or non-slip slippers.

• Avoid going barefoot or wearing socks.

• Use furniture at a height you can easily access.

• Run electrical cords along walls instead of open areas.

• Use a lift chair if you have difficulty sitting or standing.

• Be aware of where your pet is at all times.

• Use a grabbing tool to reach items rather than extending or using a stepstool.

• Use a walker or specially-fitted cane if you have balance problems.

Stairs and steps

• Install handrails on both sides of stairways.

• Repair uneven or broken steps.

• Install non-stick material on stairs.

• Promptly replace burned-out bulbs over stairs.

Outdoors

• Never go outside barefooted.

• Install non-slip tape on outdoor steps.

• Install handrails on either side of outdoor steps.

• Have tree limbs and yard debris removed from walkways.

• Stick to sidewalks and walking trails.

• Avoid walking in areas with uneven ground.

• Have sidewalks repaired if they become damaged.

• Never walk on snowy or icy pavement.

• Turn on your porch light if you will be out after dark.

• Use motion detector lights or other lighting between your car and your house.

• If you have a dog, find someone else to help you walk it.