Seniors and falls
- Thread starter chic
- Start date
About the sunken living rooms, they are definitely not designed for seniors with walking difficulties. Anyone who uses a walker would have real problems negotiating that one step.
Actually, seniors should avoid houses with any kind of stairs, unless they are in amazingly wonderful physical shape. That's why all "senior" housing is on one level, period.
Actually, seniors should avoid houses with any kind of stairs, unless they are in amazingly wonderful physical shape. That's why all "senior" housing is on one level, period.
StarSong
Awkward is my Superpower
- Location
- Los Angeles Suburbs
So true, Sunny. My house is mostly on a raised foundation, but a few areas are on a slab so it's one or two steps from one level to the other. I can't tell you how many times I've slipped down those steps. No serious injuries as of yet (knock wood) but I'm not getting any younger. Like TreeGuy, I'd never intentionally live in a house with more than one level.
Camper - my father-in-law has fallen a few times recently, mostly while getting up to use the bathroom during the night. He's been unable to get himself up and had to wait for a caregiver in his AL to check on him. I'll see about having him practice getting himself up off the floor. Maybe we can even add a grab bar down low for this kind of situation. Thanks for the tip.
Don M.
SF VIP
- Location
- central Missouri
Falls, in or around the house, are probably one of the major causes for Senior Disabilities. One should Always move cautiously, and try to anticipate and watch for any potentially hazardous conditions. I've had a couple of old friends who fell getting in/out of the shower/tub, and in both cases, their injuries caused major, and lasting, problems.
Yeah, gotta have something...a small child or something
wrote a bit about this in wunna my fractured threads:
Falling down
At the age of four, one falls on a regular schedule.
No big deal
Yer close to the ground anyway
Get up
Run
Fall down
Repeat
When in yer late sixties, falling down is akin to plunging off the edge of the Grand Canyon
Seems about the same space of time to mentally adjust with several choice expletives
Once you’ve determined yer goin’ over, and have made one or more feeble attempts at grabbing (helplessly flailing) at something on the way down,
like a small animal or a board with a rusty nail in it, you come to the grim reality that there’s just no stopping you, yer gonna hit.
Hard
Fleeting thoughts of childhood pets, Felecia Moorhead’s heaving cleavage, and health insurance premiums rush thru.
The landing..style points
I’ve never ever landed well.
Even in high school football, where you practice it, forever it seems.
Drop and roll for me was slowly crouching down and flopping over, immediately losing any location orientation.
I was a pretty good second baseman and shortstop, with good hand/eye coordination, but range...didn’t dare stretch out for the hot liner, could topple over, those were for outfielders.
The somersault has been an unattainable challenge, since early on in life, even though Connie Ekbert and her holey underwear showed me the main gist of the mechanics,
in slow motion,
several times...
Types
There’s the falling up
A couple/three months ago I stubbed my toe on a curb, going in to a Goodwill Store.
Went down
Landing on my palms
But that one didn’t count so much.
I fell kinna across, not down.
Now, coming off a curb, where the front half of the foot begins to point down, while the back half remains on the curb..heh...that one’s a beaut.
There’s a forward thrust, like some hit man from behind just pushed you into the subway rails.
That one doesn’t give you the grace period of fond childhood memories
Maybe a broken expletive
Maybe
Then there’s the WTF one, where it seemingly takes nothing more than a pebble on the road, or twig in the forest.
This may be attributed to the gait of a vague shuffle after a day of performing feats of long gone youthful brawn in the company of younger folk half my age.
Pain
I used to just wince, then find my way back up
But I no longer experience pain....if...I land on my palms (scar tissue).
If I happen to go down around a crowd of people, I notice they are the ones doing the wincing and grimacing.
Now I just crawl over to an object higher than my waist, hoist myself up,
give the concerned crowd a Nixon victory sign,
and hobble on my way.
So far, I’m good with it all.
Figger it’s God’s way of keeping me humble.
(fell on the ice yesterday...thought I better write these thoughts down while my wrists still function)
Aunt Bea
SF VIP
- Location
- Near Mount Pilot
I'm with Camper it's good to have a plan.
Thanks everyone for the kind words. It's hard to lose someone close to the holidays like this. Her poor husband is in shock. Things happen so fast to us seniors and it can be deadly. I can't believe I'll never hear her voice again. I feel just awful.
It is a total shock. This happened to our neighbour a couple of months ago. She suddenly died right in front of us after working on her sons workshop. It happened so fast and I really miss hearing her voice and seeing her. It’s shocking to all concerned who care. Give yourself time to adjust to your new reality.
Linda
Senior Member
- Location
- Central California foothills
Treeguy, that was pretty horrible for your friend. Losing his wife, even though it was an accident he probably can't help but feel guilty. So sad.
Olivia, that is a good point, having something to hang on to if you have a sunken room. The house I looked at most recently had you stepping down from the dinning room into the living room and I don't like that idea at all. There was nothing close to hold on to.
Olivia, that is a good point, having something to hang on to if you have a sunken room. The house I looked at most recently had you stepping down from the dinning room into the living room and I don't like that idea at all. There was nothing close to hold on to.
StarSong
Awkward is my Superpower
- Location
- Los Angeles Suburbs
Thank you so much for posting this. I'll practice these moves with my father-in-law.
That's terrible Keesha. Hugs right back at ya. I will give myself time as best as I can, but it's hard with the holidays coming. I find myself breaking down and just crying too frequently and I can't do that because I'm too busy.