Elderly people can effectively prevent falls by doing these actions

Author: Tang Qin, Deputy Secretary-General of the Science Popularization Expert Committee of the Chinese Medical Association, Researcher

Reviewer: Wang Changyuan, Chief Physician, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University

The elderly are at high risk of falling. Falling in the elderly is not only prone to fractures, but may also cause high blood pressure and subsequently lead to heart disease.

In order to avoid the above situation, we can screen the risk of falls in daily life to assess whether the elderly are prone to falls. In addition, some training can help the elderly stand firm, reduce the occurrence of falls, and maintain their physical health.

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1. Six moments when the elderly are prone to falling

1. When you wake up

Early morning is a high-incidence time for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, because indicators such as blood pressure and blood sugar may be unstable at this time, which can easily cause symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, and chest tightness.

To prevent falls, it is recommended that the elderly lie in bed for a while when they wake up in the morning, then sit up slowly, and wait for 1 minute before putting their feet on the ground. Don't rush to move at this time, stand for a while, wait until your body is stable before starting to walk.

2. When answering the phone

Many elderly people will reflexively rush to answer the phone when they hear it ringing, ignoring the coordination of their body movements, which can easily lead to falls.

It is recommended that the elderly do not put the phone too high, and it is best to put it on the table in the living room. When you hear the phone ringing, do not rush to answer it. Get up, stand up, and walk slowly before answering the phone.

3. When taking a bath

The elderly are weak and have poor balance, especially those with chronic diseases such as heart disease and hypertension. Due to the small bathroom space, high water temperature will cause blood vessels to dilate, leading to hypoxia in the elderly. Coupled with the slippery ground, it is easy to fall.

It is recommended that the elderly should not take a bath for more than 15 minutes; do not lock the bathroom door; and use anti-slip tiles on the bathroom floor and lay anti-slip mats.

4. When getting up at night

When people get up at night, changes in body position can easily cause changes in blood pressure, which can lead to short-term dizziness. In addition, the light is dim at night, and the elderly cannot see the surrounding environment clearly, making it very easy to fall.

It is recommended to place a night light next to the elderly’s bed, keep the room corridors spacious, clean and free of clutter, and install handrails in the bathroom to help the elderly support their bodies.

5. When taking the escalator

The elderly usually have poorer limb coordination and reaction ability. When riding an escalator, they are prone to falling if they fail to grasp the rhythm.

It is recommended that the elderly use elevators when going up and down stairs. If an escalator is the only option, they should keep their feet equidistant from their shoulders and hold the handrails tightly.

6. When waiting for the bus

Standing and queuing for long periods of time can easily make the elderly physically exhausted. When the bus arrives at the station, the elderly cannot keep up with the speed of the crowd getting on the bus and are likely to fall in the crowd.

It is recommended that the elderly can take a folding cane with a bench when going out, sit for a while while waiting, or move their joints more in place. When changing from sitting to standing, be careful not to move too hard to avoid orthostatic hypotension and fall.

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2. How to judge whether the elderly are prone to falls

Whether the elderly are prone to falls can be tested and evaluated using the following three methods.

1. Three-meter turnaround

The elderly walk 3 meters at a normal speed and turn around to walk back to the starting point, and record the time. If it can be completed within 12 seconds, it is normal; if it exceeds 12 seconds, it means that the elderly are at high risk of falling.

2. Balance test of combined foot, half foot and full foot

The elderly should stand with their feet together for 10 seconds; if they can do this, they should stand with their feet half a step apart for 10 seconds; if they can do this, they should stand with their toes facing each other for 10 seconds. During the assessment, the elderly can open their arms slightly to maintain balance. If their body sways, it indicates that their balance function is impaired and they are at a certain risk of falling in daily life.

3. Five sit-ups test

The elderly cross their hands on their shoulders, stand up and sit down from the chair as quickly as possible, do this 5 times in a row, and record the time from the first sitting to the fifth standing. If it is completed within 12 seconds, it is normal; if it exceeds 12 seconds, it means that the elderly are at high risk of falling.

When conducting the above three tests, you need to take good protection to prevent the elderly from falling during the test. If the elderly are prone to falling according to the evaluation results, the following three training methods can be used to improve their ability to resist falling.

3. How to exercise to prevent falls in the elderly

A comprehensive study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that exercising for 3 hours a week can reduce the risk of falls in the elderly by 39%. Experts therefore recommend 3 home exercise methods that can effectively prevent falls.

1. Trunk core muscle training

The elderly should lie flat on the bed or yoga mat, bend their hips and knees, keep their shoulders, back and feet close to the bed, use force on their waist and back, and push their abdomen up to lift their waist, back and buttocks off the bed, and hold for 6 seconds.

2. Lower limb muscle training

First, squat slowly, paying attention to the feeling of the front thigh muscles contracting during the squatting process, and hold for 3 to 6 seconds when the knee joint is flexed 90 degrees. Then take a deep breath and exhale slowly, focusing on the front thigh muscles, continue to exhale for 3 to 6 seconds, and then stand up slowly.

3. Balance training

Under the premise of ensuring the safety of the elderly, single-leg standing exercise should be performed. The elderly should stand with their feet shoulder-width apart, adjust their mind and breathing, slowly lift one leg, and stand as long as possible after standing in the Golden Rooster Stand.

When standing on one leg, both arms can move freely to find a suitable posture to maintain balance, but you cannot hold on to fixed objects or ask others for assistance, otherwise you will not be able to achieve the effect of balance training. Generally, you can switch to the other side after maintaining it for about 30 seconds.

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In addition to exercise training, the elderly and their families should also pay more attention in their daily lives to try to avoid the possibility of falls so that the elderly can have a healthy old age.

References

[1]Sherrington C, Michaleff ZA, Fairhall N, et al. Exercise to prevent falls in older adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis[J]. Br J Sports Med, 2017, 51(24):1750-1758.