Salut tout le monde! Hey everybody! Great to see the Bruins pull off a nail-biting 4-3 victory over the free-falling Lightning. Tampa Bat have to be aching to get Mr. Stamkos back in the line-up!
Now on to the business at hand. With winter in full swing, at least in these more northerly climates, I thought it would be appropriate to touch on injuries related to falls.
Remembering that late 1980’s TV commercial famous for the line of which I have titled this post brings mixed feelings for me today. The company responsible, LifeCall, produced a really bad infomercial with poor acting and even worse dialogue. It was so notably bad that poor Mrs. Fletcher’s famous line “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” is now a part of contemporary pop culture. While the comedic aspect of it does bring a mischievous smile to my face the actual dramatization of a very serious and dangerous situation is anything but funny.
Cold hard facts pertaining to seniors’ falls do not paint a very pretty picture for elderly folks. Taken from the Government of Canada website http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/publications/public/injury-blessure/seniors_falls-chutes_aines/index-eng.php, the first thing notable to me was the type of injuries which result from seniors’ falls. Data indicates that 65% of falls result either in broken or fractured bones and sprains or strains. These of course typically lead to Emergency Room visits at the local hospital and frequently seniors end up admitted to the hospital for treatment.
As seniors age, the rate of fall-related hospitalizations increases as does the lengths of hospital stay. It is also noteworthy that the length of hospital stay was on average 10 days longer than any other causes attributed to the hospitalization of seniors. Deaths which can be directly attributed to a fall are in the neighbourhood of 4.5 per 10,000 seniors in Canada.
This post is not meant to discuss, debate, or analyze government policy with regard to this health issue. Needless to say I will state that with seniors making up 15% of our population and growing, a comprehensive vision and plan to deal with this emerging concern is desperately needed. Personally, I would like to make a few generalizations based upon anecdotal evidence and research I have undertaken over the past few years regarding seniors’ falls. Unless noted explicitly, future reference to falls in this post are concerned only with persons over the age of 65.
Falls are bad! They are very bad!! They often are the precursor to an individuals’ downward slide in health and well-being. Besides the sad stories recounted to me over the years, I have my own personal experience of watching my mother go from seemingly good health and independence to deteriorating health resulting in the requirement of assisted living arrangements. After my Mum’s fall the proverbial “house of cards” came crashing down and she never regained the health and independence she once enjoyed. The fall that precipitated all of this happened when my mother was in her mid-80’s. She was very fortunate it did not happen sooner.
One hundred percent prevention of falls and their consequences is not a realistic expectation; however, there are many things we can do to minimize the risk of falling and consequences directly attributable to a fall. Three notable professional associations from the U.S. and U.K. (American and British Geriatrics Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) found that lack of muscular strength and endurance increased the risk of a fall by four to five times. Particularly, the lack of strength in the lower limbs was blamed for hip fractures. One of the more obvious and accessible methods for mitigating falls or minimizing the consequences associated with falls are physical activity and fitness programs.
Current evidence suggests that only 11 % of seniors meet the recommended Canadian guidelines for physical activity. Continued physical activity and literacy is key to slow or reverse age-related loss of muscle tissue, cardiovascular fitness, bone density, flexibility, balance, and mobility. There are sooo many activities which seniors can get involved in to promote physical activity and health. There are walking/hiking groups, community programs such as Tai Chi, masters swim teams, cycling groups, rowing/paddling clubs, just to mention a few avenues for seniors to increase their activity levels. There are personal trainers, group exercise fitness instructors, kinesiologists, personal support workers, recreology specialists, and others who may have some training or specialize in seniors’ health and fitness programs and exercise prescription.
It is important that programs include a comprehensive assessment, elements to enhance the physiological factors listed above (loss of muscle tissue, loss of flexibility, etc.), be progressive in nature, and are personalized based upon each individual’s needs and goals.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like further information or advice.
Thanks for visiting!