Seniors and falls

chic

chic

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Location
U.S.
My friend and neighbor died the other day from a fall she took outdoors. Please everyone be super careful now that the weather is cold, snowy and icy. Watch yourselves because a bad fall can kill you. It's terrible to lose someone this way, so suddenly. It's unnecessary.
 

How did she fall and how old was she?

When we lived in Colorado, I fell in our driveway, after getting our truck stuck in a snowbank. That fall required rotator cuff surgery in my right shoulder. We ended up moving out of Colorado because we were afraid that one of us would get seriously hurt there falling in ice/snow. Thing is, I fell here (northeastern Florida) in our apartment complex parking lot in the middle of the summer that required rotator cuff surgery in my left shoulder. My wife accidently ran into a Black Friday display in a store and fell. That fall didn't cause any injury. She also fell going to a job interview, but that fall didn't seriously injury her (just some pain). After that fall, we got rid of all of her nice high heels. She only has pumps now.

We both know that when we move back to Colorado, how careful we have to be during the winter/snow/ice months. Will be wearing appropriate footwear.
 

My dad had a fall about two years ago. He tripped on some tools from some workers that were there. He was able to grab onto the stairs to break his fall somewhat, but then later he had discomfort by his ribs. It turned out he had a collapsed lung and was in the hospital a couple of days. He was 89 then. He was actually lucky because now we know he has really bad porous bones.

Yes, watch where you're walking, in snow or otherwise.
 
My doctor feels that the cause of many of the elder's falls can be attributed to blood pressure that is kept too low by medication. At my doctor's recommendation, I cut my long-time medication in half and feel much better and with a much more clear head. Of course, I check my BP at least once a day and again if anything feels 'off.' My blood pressure still remains steady and well within acceptable range.

This is just my personal experience. PLEASE don't anyone do this without discussing with your doctor first.
 
My wife has epilepsy and I live constantly with the dread of her having a seizure and falling. About six years ago we were bicycling and she had a seizure, crashed the bike and broke her hip. She had to get a hip replacement. That was the worst one. Last year she fractured her clavicle. That was minor, she just had to wear a sling. She's fractured a rib, and a bone in her foot that way. And she's hit her head bad enough to need stitches. That's the scariest part. Hitting your head can kill you.
 
What we really found out, from my fall in Colorado and both of us falling here in Florida, Seniors don't have to be in snow/ice to fall.
 
I once read a chilling article about how bad nursing home care is in so many places. The article ended with, "Remember, we are all just one fall away from a nursing home." Frightening thought.
 
Trade, medical cannabis is sometimes efficacious in the treatment of epileptic seizures. Perhaps something to check out? I have a close friend who uses it, cut down number her seizures 70%.
 
Shalimar said:
Trade, medical cannabis is sometimes efficacious in the treatment of epileptic seizures. Perhaps something to check out? I have a close friend who uses it, cut down number her seizures 70%.
Click to expand...

That's not an option here in Alabama. These people down here still think "Refer Madness" is a scientific documentary.

But she takes a pretty effective anti-seizure med. Lamictal.
 
My balance isn't the best and I fall on occasion. However, I have learned how to land and have only broken one bone in years and years (and that was tripping over a Hare Krishna in a temple in India in February).

I have a process of twisting over to the back of my shoulder when I feel I'm losing my balance and that's where I land. For me, that seems to be the best place to make contact with the ground. I may be a bit sore all over, but I don't seem to break anything.

Hope my luck holds out.
 
Chic, I'm so sorry to hear you lost your neighbour in that painful way, may she R.I.P

Sunny yes indeed that's a very sobering thought....

..I'm the same as you jujube, I seem to fall a lot, I lose my balance for no reason, usually in the garden thankfully rather than flat on my face outside shopping on the concrete pavement, but often from the top if ladders in the garden.. I think it's simply beccause I'm always rushing around. fortunately no bones broken, touch wood,... and during winter I wear ankle boots with thick tread if I'm walking anywhere in snow and ice!!
 
I'm buying padded football bottoms for the gf and I, along with ice cleats, ski poles and helmets, should we move to a snowy area. Let 'em laugh. Never mind that I have pins and plates in my arm from a fall in my house.
 
Chic, so very sorry to hear that you have lost a friend.

These things are very difficult and I always feel bad for others when it happens but I pray that I can be snatched up just that quickly without some long debilitating disease.
 
Chic, that is so sad. I'm sorry you lost your friend.

I had a bad fall about 2 years ago when I got up in the night to go to the bathroom and one of my feet was caught in my top sheet. It was a very helpless feeling knowing I was going down and couldn't catch myself. I was trying to grasp the front of our dresser with my fingers but there are no drawer pulls on it so down I went. The pain was horrific when I hit the floor and to me it sounded like a bomb went off. I landed hard on my right side. I thought my shoulder was broke. It scared my husband. I couldn't even let him help me up for a few minutes. The next day I got X-rayed and nothing was broke. I refused an MRI so all my doctor could do was send me to 12 sessions of physical therapy. My arm is better but I still have some pain and weakness in it.

I'm wondering what others think about a sunken room in a house? Would that be dangerous for seniors? We've been looking at houses in town, mostly on the internet, and every once in awhile I'll find one I really like but it'll have a sunken living room about 4 to 6 inches lower than the rest of the house. My husband and I say "Oh, we could get used to that and remember it was there." But could we, would we?? We are pretty forgetful sometimes. Do any of you have a sunken room and do you always remember it's there?
 
I practice getting up. If you fall and can't get up its worse.

i roll over on my stomach. Then push myself up on one knee. From then with my arms I push myself up with the bent knee.

it helps if you have something to grab on to but that's not always the case.
 
The worst fall I've ever had was when I stepped into the ladies room of where I worked. What I didn't know was that it had just been mopped and was still wet, and me walking in with smooth bottom pumps slipped and few in the air landing on my backside. After a minute or two after gaining my breath again, I got up not worse for the wear. I then talked to the maintenance guy (who was a sweet person really but just not that much with it) and scolded him and warned him about putting up the "Warning Wet" sign. I didn't report him to his supervisor. I didn't want to do that to him. And besides that, it was me.

I also hurt my ankle about a year ago when I was reaching over about an 8-inch tile border for the the water nose. I lost my balance and landed on my ankle. It wasn't that bad but it took a year to get normal again.
 
I'm wondering what others think about a sunken room in a house? Would that be dangerous for seniors? We've been looking at houses in town, mostly on the internet, and every once in awhile I'll find one I really like but it'll have a sunken living room about 4 to 6 inches lower than the rest of the house. My husband and I say "Oh, we could get used to that and remember it was there." But could we, would we?? We are pretty forgetful sometimes. Do any of you have a sunken room and do you always remember it's there?
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We have about an 8-inch step down into a kind of closed in lanai which is used for crafts and such and also connects to a bedroom and is used pretty much often. Never had an accident with that. There is a book case and a chair on either side of it, so if need be, those can be something to hold on to if feeling uneasy about it. My 91 year old father never had a problem with it. But, of course, if cognition becomes a problem, I suppose it can.
 
Linda said:
SNIP!
I'm wondering what others think about a sunken room in a house? Would that be dangerous for seniors? We've been looking at houses in town, mostly on the internet, and every once in awhile I'll find one I really like but it'll have a sunken living room about 4 to 6 inches lower than the rest of the house. My husband and I say "Oh, we could get used to that and remember it was there." But could we, would we?? We are pretty forgetful sometimes. Do any of you have a sunken room and do you always remember it's there?
Click to expand...

My neighbor forgot about the step down from his workroom to his garage. As he fell, he grabbed onto his wife. She fell and broke her hip. She died a few days later. They were married fifty years. He sold the house and moved in with his son. I have the same layout in my house, but I'm always alone in my workroom. Even so, I'll never buy another house with a multi-level floor plan.
 
I'm so sorry about the loss of your friend, Chic. Thank you for the reminder about taking greater care to stay on our feet.

Falls can happen anytime, anywhere and in any weather, but slippery or uneven surfaces dramatically increase the likelihood of a spill.
 
It's more than being careful, be prepared! We live with ice and snow for 5 months every year so proper non-slip rubber soles are essential. Cheap shoes have plastic soles that are slick so spend some money and buy quality winter boots, it's cheaper than a hospital stay.

Ice prongs are available and fit most canes so your can won't slip on ice. They fold out of the way when going indoors. Be constantly aware of what is underfoot, tripping hazards are everywhere.
 

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