I was carrying my Mother’s day potted
dahlia up the deck steps when I tripped on the steps and fell. I smacked my
elbow, knee, and scraped my foot.
It was a little shocking to find
myself down, but I dusted myself off, moved my limbs without pain. It seemed
the only visible damage was a toenail torn halfway off. I was luckier than my
sister-in-law who had fallen over the weekend and fractured her hip.
Unfortunately, I had landed on the
plant, crushing the plastic pot and breaking off a few of the flowers. We
re-potted the plant, and I believe it, too, will recover.
These two falls made me think of
all the times Jim fell. As I worked on his memoir Indelible, it became apparent to me that he had fallen more times
than I remembered. None of Jim’s falls resulted in broken bones, but he often
had bruises, swelling, and cuts that had to be stitched.
Jim’s main problem seemed to be
balance. After several falls, he eventually used a merry-walker, a device that
looks much like a baby walker for adults. He even managed to flip the
merry-walker from time-to-time and the nursing home weighted it down. At one
time, he was falling out of bed, so they placed it on the floor.
Up until the last several months of
Jim’s life, I was able to take him for walks. I held onto him, and he seemed to
do pretty well. Once he began to tilt his head back most of the time, I had
more problems keeping him balanced. Eventually, our “walks” involved pushing a
wheelchair around the parking lot.
A myriad of problems associated
with dementia can increase the risk of falling. Dementia causes problems with
balance and gait, confusion, vision and perception, and, of course, the ever present
medication.
According to the CDC (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention), nearly 32,000 people died from unintentional
falls in 2014. Injuries from falls are the most common accidental death for
older adults.
Six out of every ten falls happen
at home. NIH (National Institutes of Health) has some suggestions to make our
homes safer while we go about our daily activities. Slick floors and poorly lit
stairways are two examples of hazards.
NIH lists these factors that can
lead to falls: (1) loose rugs, (2) clutter on the floor or stairs, (3) carrying
heavy or bulky things up and down stairs, (4) not having stair railings, and
(5) not having grab bars in the bathroom.
If you want a to-do list:
·
Remove safety hazards. It is easy to trip over
electrical cords, clutter, dog dishes, or small furniture. One time as I was
knocking down cobwebs, I tripped over a footstool.
·
Improve lighting. Make sure bulbs are bright
enough that you can see where you are going. Have a lamp at your bedside, night-lights
throughout your home, and keep a flashlight handy.
·
Install handrails and grab bars. Stairs and
bathtubs are prime spots for accidents. Having something to hang onto reduces
the risk.
·
Move items to make them easier to reach. As a
short person, I applaud this idea. Almost everything is out of my reach!
Having a recent fall makes me more
aware of the danger. I had a really bad fall on ice one time and my first
thought was that I was going to die, my second thought was that I had “broken”
my head. Ice is another story for different season. For now, let’s work on
those indoor hazards that might catch us unaware.
Copyright © May 2017 by L.S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com
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