| Part 1 - Internal Factors | | | | transfer in and out of bed or a chair. |
| Falls and their consequences are the leading cause | | | | Vision changes. As people get older it becomes |
| of death in people 65 years and older. For people | | | | harder for the eyes to adjust to varying levels of |
| 85 and older, it's estimated that one in five falls | | | | lightness and darkness. We become more |
| results in death. | | | | sensitive to glare. Decreased depth perception |
| Until recently, most falls have been blamed on a | | | | also makes it hard to distinguish high-contrast |
| single cause - precipitated by either a medical | | | | patterns from actual elevation changes. |
| event or an "accident" related to the environment. | | | | Balance problems. Aging naturally diminishes the |
| Today, researchers know that falls are rarely the | | | | body's natural automatic reflexes that enable |
| result of an isolated event. Rather falls are | | | | people to properly interpret and re-orient their |
| complex events caused by the interaction of both | | | | center of gravity as they move or walk. Changes |
| internal and external factors. | | | | in gait (such as walking with a narrower or wider |
| Most falls represent the end result of a series of | | | | stance than usual) increase the risk of catching a |
| independent and often small risks. Individually, such | | | | foot on an obstruction. |
| risks pose no harm. Young and able-bodied people | | | | Cardiovascular difficulties. Numbness in the limbs |
| can manage avoid many daily mishaps so | | | | affects the ability to sense the ground or |
| naturally, they never even realize it. Eventually | | | | command their limbs to adjust to it. |
| though, age, disability or compromised health not | | | | Cardiovascular problems can also cause sudden |
| only created its own risks, it can make it | | | | loss of blood to the brain, resulting in fainting. |
| impossible to deal with even the simplest | | | | Medications. Many drugs (including alcohol) affect |
| environmental risks. | | | | judgment and coordination. Tranquilizers can slow |
| Often, a fall "happens" (meaning, factors set it in | | | | reflexes. Others increase the risk of fainting |
| motion) long before the victim encounters the | | | | Chronic or acute diseases. Falls may often be the |
| event. As relatives and caregivers, it becomes our | | | | initial symptom of a disease. Degenerative |
| responsibility to recognize and correct those | | | | disorders only compound the risk of falls. |
| factors-both physiological and environmental- and | | | | Depression, stress or lack of sleep. Such issues |
| break the chain of risk, before a fall occurs. | | | | can make people preoccupied and less alert to the |
| Prevention is no accident. | | | | dangers around them. |
| Internal risk factors | | | | You can help prevent falls in one of the most |
| A number of physiological and medical factors play | | | | dangerous rooms in the home, by equipping your |
| a role in causing falls. Understanding these can help | | | | bathroom with readily available devices including |
| you reduce the risks from these and other | | | | secure hand rails, a raised toilet seat, a bathing |
| factors. Here are a few major ones. | | | | chair, easy-to-reach shower controls, and non-slip |
| Changes in muscles and bones. Changes in | | | | shower/tub liners. |
| muscles and joints not only make movement | | | | Stayed tuned for Part 2, understanding the |
| more difficult, they also make it harder to correct | | | | external risk factors to help reduce our senior's |
| for a sudden loss of balance. Loss of strength in | | | | risk for falls. |
| the legs or upper arms limits the ability to | | | | |