SALT LAKE CITY — Falling is one of the biggest concerns for older adults, but experts say it doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of aging. With proactive steps, people can reduce their risk while maintaining independence.
“There are things that we can do to regain our independence and maintain that ability to avoid falls,” said Weston Lindsay, a physical therapist with Intermountain Health Rehab Services.
Some people hesitate to seek help, fearing it could mean losing their freedom.
“We do see that quite a bit,” Lindsay said. “There is a fear of maybe I’m going to lose some of my independence, and the great thing is that falls are not inevitable.”
One of the leading causes of falls is distraction.
“Getting distracted tends to lead to falls,” Lindsay said. “So, when you’re thinking about those 80 things that you’ve got to get done … it tends to lead to, ‘Oh, I forgot to pick up my foot over that threshold as I was walking.’ So, when you’re sitting, you can be as distracted as you want to be. When you’re walking, it’s nice to make sure that you’re putting one foot in front of the other and staying upright.”
Lindsay also recommends staying present while walking and taking proactive steps to stay safe.
“There are things that we can do proactively, including exercise in lots of different forms, and we ought to be doing that regularly to avoid these falls,” he said.
He added that people should check their surroundings.
“Obstacles on the floor become one of our major fall hazards — rugs, thresholds, electrical cords, shoes, clothes, blankets. You name it. Anything that’s on the floor becomes a potential trip hazard,” Lindsay said.
Balance is another factor, and Lindsay teaches what he calls the “nose and toes” principle.
“There’s a principle I like to talk about with people. I call it the nose and toes principle,” he said. “When we’re upright, our body is designed to have our nose and our toes generally facing the same direction and roughly parallel. If they keep it that way, then they have the best sense of stability. Where problems tend to occur is we’re walking along … and we turn to look at something and it tends to lead to an imbalance. Any time that nose is not facing that same orientation, it tends to lead to falls.”
To help the community learn more, Intermountain Health is hosting a free Strong and Steady Falls Prevention event on Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wheeler Farm Outdoor Education Center, 6475 S. 900 East, Murray.
The event will feature:
- Falls prevention screenings
- Balance and exercise activities
- Tai Chi and fitness class demonstrations
- Nutrition and home safety talks
You can also learn more about fall prevention at livingwell.utah.gov. Many programs are free or included with health plans, including Select Health Medicare Advantage.
Watch Intermountain Health’s Falls Prevention 101 video here.
