This post is written more from personal experiences but is very important as people age. I seem to have a history of tripping over things and falling smack on my face even though I am not elderly. I have tripped over a toddler who walked in front of me, while I was carrying a baby in my arms. I have tripped over the front steps while carrying groceries into the house. I have tripped over the dog which ran in front of me, and I have tripped over my own floppy slippers. This last time, landing smack on my head requiring 5 stitches. Fortunately for me I have strong bones and haven't broken anything yet.
As people age, this becomes a very real concern. An elderly person's balance will not be what it was when they were younger, and their chance of getting severely hurt increases. Sometimes an elderly person may fall because of osteoporosis. A bone may break first, causing the fall. But many falls are preventable.
It is important that precautions are taken to help prevent falls. A few obvious things would be to make sure the floor is free from clutter, dim lights are left on at night, dogs are well trained, shoes or slippers fit properly and do not fall off while walking, and not trying to move too fast, thus throwing one off balance.
Karen Best Wright, B.S. Community Health Education
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