Okay, you’ve done everything I wrote about in September to prevent a fall: staying physically active, finding out about the side effects of your medications; standing up slowly; using a cane or walker when needed; keeping your bones strong; and fall-proofing your home.
But what should you do if you still fall?
A sudden fall can be startling and upsetting – and maybe a little embarrassing, but stay calm and take the following steps as recommended by the National Institute on Aging.
Breathe. Take several deep breaths to try to relax. Remain still on the floor or ground for a few moments. This will help you get over the shock of falling.
Decide if you are hurt. Getting up too quickly or in the wrong way could make an injury worse.
If you think you can get up safely without help take the following steps to crawl to a sturdy chair and sit down.
- Roll over onto your side.
- Rest again while your body and blood pressure adjust.
- Slowly get up on your hands and knees, and crawl to a sturdy chair.
- Put your hands on the chair seat and slide one foot forward so that it’s flat on the floor.
- Keep the other leg bent so the knee is on the floor.
- From this kneeling position, slowly rise and turn your body to sit in the chair.
Get help. If you’re hurt or cannot get up on your own, ask someone for help or call 911. If you are alone, try to get into a comfortable position and wait for help to arrive. Prepare for a fall by keeping a well-charged cordless or mobile phone with you at all times and arrange for daily contact with a family member or friend. Emergency response systems are another option: These systems enable you to push a button on a special necklace or bracelet to call for help. Some smartwatches also have this feature.
After a fall, set aside some time to figure out the root cause of the fall. Was it the small throw rug you didn’t pick up? And always tell your doctor if you have fallen since your last check-up, even if you did not feel pain when you fell.
Taking a fall is bad enough and we don’t want to make it worse. Spending two weeks away from home in rehab is not my idea of a vacation!
Brain Tease. It is amazing what the brain can do – when it works! Can you raed this? Olny 55 people out of 100 can.
I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Last week I asked what was your favorite cologne/perfume during your younger days and I received answers from Bruce Johnson, Doug Nelson, Dave Lutgens, Keith and Marlene Clymer, Judy Kiser Debbie Medina, Linda Frizzell, and Kathy Bullack. See if you remember these colognes that were mentioned: English Leather, Old Spice, British Sterling, Brut, Witch Hazel, Lilac Vegetal, and Blue Aqua; and perfumes: White Diamonds, White Shoulders, An Evening In Paris, Tigress by Faberge, Chanel #5, and Charlie. And for this week, everyone wins a free quilt raffle ticket.
Peter Pan the 1954 musical was first performed on Broadway in October 1954. In 1956 NBC presented Peter Pan live as the first full-length Broadway production on color TV attracting a then-record audience of 65 million viewers – possibly including many of you. It was restaged in 1960, and that version was rebroadcast on NBC in 1963, 1966, and 1973.
For this week’s “Remember When” question, who played Peter Pan and also starred in the Broadway productions of South Pacific and Sound of Music? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788, or mail it with the Original 1954 Broadway Cast Recording.
Well, it’s been another week, appreciating the little things. Until we meet again, as the late local guitar-playing and entertaining Andre Lamoreaux once told me:” When they stop listening before you stop playing, you know it’s time to go.”
“I don’t see much sense in that,” said Rabbit. “No,” said Pooh humbly, “there isn’t. But there was going to be when I began it. It’s just that something happened to it along the way.”
