Instruction
Using the information learned in class and/or from personal experience, discuss ways you can reduce your risk of falling as your grow older and the risk of your older loved ones.
Initial post must be minimum of 150 words. No word limit on 2 response posts.
First respond:
There are alot of different ways to reduce risk of falling in the elderly stage. Since I have had experience in nursing homes,aide, and hospitals; I know some of the protocols when it comes to at risk falling patients. Some things i picked up with my experience is to always make sure that I take care of myself. It seems pretty obvious, but once you grow old, especially men they do not get themselves checked out for anything. My grand father was horrible when it comes to going to the doctor for a check-up. Now he discovered he had cancer and diabetes when he fell outside working on his truck. He waited too long to get checked out and his cancer spread and with him having diabetes he had to have his leg cut off. But since he had cancer they were afraid it would travel to, eventually he passed away due to complications. But i remember something he told me when I took care of him, which was always make sure you take care of your self by making sure you get checked out, because he lost all his siblings due to cancer, and they were just as stubborn as he was when it came to having check ups. Another thing I would do to help me reduce the risk for falling know the signs , meaning if im having a hard time moving around and have to hold on to something or someone then you are at risk of falling in the future.Lastly make sure i have great lighting in my house, secure rails if I have stairs, and making sure I exercise daily
second respond:
Falls are usually unintentional injuries that increase as we age. Some of the things that can be done to reduce your risk is to eat healthy, drink plenty of fluids, exercise to maintain muscle mass. Those are things you can do for your body, around your surroundings, you can reduce clutter, install grab bars or hand rails, remove tripping hazards such as throw rugs and electrical cords, avoid wearing loose clothing, have well lit walk ways, wear shoes with rubber soles . I have several elderly neighbors that I help and keep a watchful eye on, I can't even count how many times I have had to help them up from a fall. Looking down while walking and tripping over hoses while watering gardens and flowers have been the most common reasons, but underlying health issues such as dehydration, loss of vision, and improper medication regime can also cause falls. I would advise talking to a health care provider if falls occur often, there could be an underlying medical condition.