PREVENTING FALLS
Hip
fractures in the elderly are most often caused by a fall, usually a seemingly
insignificant fall. Women have two to three times as many hip fractures as
men, and white, post-menopausal women have a 1 in 7 chance of hip fracture
during a lifetime. Only 25 percent of hip fracture patients will make a full
recovery; 40 percent will require nursing home care; 50 percent will need a cane
or walker; and 24 percent of those over age 50 will die within 12 months. The
best way to deal with hip fractures…PREVENT THEM!
· Remove things your family member can trip over (like papers, books, clothes, and shoes) from stairs and places where they walk.
· Remove small throw rugs or use double-sided tape to keep the rugs from slipping.
· Keep items your family member often uses in cabinets they can reach easily without using a step stool.
· Find out if grab bars can be put next to the toilet and in the tub or shower.
· Use non-slip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors.
·
Make sure your
family member wears shoes or slippers with a ‘non slip’ tread
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Recent news, from 12/27/06 edition: The Journal of the American Medical Association: Proton-pump inhibitors (Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec , Protonix), the drugs that fight stomach acid, may increase the risk of hip fractures. The study suggests that people over age 50 who take the drugs for more than one year have a 44% increased risk of breaking a hip.
Calcium
is needed to maintain healthy, strong bones throughout your life. After age 50,
both men and women need to increase their calcium intake from 1,000 mg to 1,200
mg per day. Eat: Milk cheese yogurt broccoli almonds sardines. Calcium supplements
are available without a prescription in a wide range of preparations and
strengths.
There is some studies which indicate there is a benefit in reducing risk of a fall by taking yoga. Yoga can increase a person’s awareness of maintaining balance, and stretching exercises also increase agility.