Have you fallen in the last year? If so, you are not alone. More than one in four people aged 65 years or older fall each year – and the risk of falling increases with age.
But why? Are they unavoidable, unfortunate accidents? Sometimes. But even if we can’t totally eliminate the risk of falling, there are common sense ways we all know to reduce the risk, but we often just don’t do them.
As a reminder some of those ways are:
- Remove clutter in your home, and walk carefully when there are potential hazards, such as throw rugs. Pets are wonderful companions, but they can also get under your feet and cause a fall.
- Never stand on chairs to get to something you can’t reach – which may not be your first reaction when the kitchen fire alarm starts blaring. (Yes dear, I know I need to clean the oven!)
- Make sure whatever you use for support such as a shower grab bar is secure and stable.
- Immediately wipe spills off the floor and use a rubber-backed bathmat to prevent the bathroom floor from getting wet. Even a small amount of water can lead to a slip.
- Wear sensible shoes such as properly fitting, sturdy, flat shoes with nonskid soles Avoid floppy slippers, shoes with slick soles, and high heels. (And tell me, why do women wear high heels?)
Besides fall-proofing your home, fall prevention is also a matter of attitude. Consider the following.
Keep moving. Consider activities that improve your strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility such as tai chi or a StrongPeople class. And don’t let an unnecessary fear of falling keep you from being active!
Talk with your primary care provider about any of your medications or health conditions that could increase your risk of falling. And if you fall make sure you tell her.
Use assistive devices if necessary. Many won’t use devices such as a cane or walker because they don’t want to be seen as frail or dependent. But assistive devices allow us to continue the many activities we care about.
Know your limitations. We aren’t the same physically as we were years ago – maybe even last year, but we are wiser. So, if there’s a task you can’t easily complete, don’t do it! Wait and ask for help.
Remember a fall can happen to you – and it can happen again. But by fall-proofing your home, staying active, using assistive devices if necessary, talking with your doctor, and knowing your limitations, you can reduce the risk of falling and avoid serious and costly consequences.
Brain Tease: From last week, do you still remember the three items I used as an example of creating visual images to remember things? If you’ve forgotten, they’re listed at the end.
In the 1968 epic science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey the name of the 9000 supercomputer with a human personality was HAL. I received correct answers from Bruce Johnson, Patrick Cadwell, Steve Woolpert, Linda Frizzell, Dave Lutgens, Mike Nagle, Rebecca Abrams, Lana Tepfer, Donna Mollet, and Mary Pierce who is this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I must have been asleep because I missed Lana Tepfer, Linda Frizzell, Donna Mollet, and Rebecca Abrams.
There were many game shows during TV’s first golden age including I’ve Got a Secret (1952–1967), To Tell the Truth (1956–1968), You Bet Your Life (1950–1961), and a game show that ran on CBS from 1950-1967. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this game show where a panel tried to guess contestants’ occupations, and also featured a “mystery guest” round, where the panelists while blindfolded attempted to determine a celebrity guest’s identity? (You can find many of the classic episodes on YouTube featuring such stars as Julie Andrews and Alfred Hitchcock) Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788, or send it with a group picture of Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis, Hal Block, and host John Daly.
Well, it’s been another week, waiting for the birds to return from their winter vacations. Until we meet again, never walk with your hands in your pockets.
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!'” — Robin Williams
Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through
Friday unless otherwise noted.
Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) – Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River
Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center
(541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333)
For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services – Goldendale office
(509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior
Services (509-427-3990).
Answer: Potato, Piano, Umbrella. Mr. Potato Head dancing on the top of a piano waving an umbrella over his head.
