Seniors and the Fear of Falling
Fear of Falling: How Can Caregivers Help Reduce the Fear?
Many seniors live with a condition called “Fear of Falling” (FOF). It’s a very real condition that can affect the quality of their everyday life, especially for seniors who have experienced a fall. Many seniors who fall, even if they’re not injured, develop a fear of falling. This fear may cause them to limit their activities, which leads to reduced mobility and loss of physical fitness, and in turn increases their actual risk of falling.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one of every three adults older than 65 years will fall each year, and in that demographic, falls are the leading cause of injury death. Once a senior has fallen, many of them never return to their own homes again, instead moving to assisted living communities or nursing homes because of injuries they sustained in the fall, their fear of falling, or their family’s fear that they may fall again.
The prevalence of FOF appears to increase with age and to be higher in women. Other risk factors of fear of falling in the elderly include dizziness, self-rated health status, depression, and problems with gait and balance.
Because the fear of falling is such a significant factor in older adults’ fall risk, addressing it directly with the senior offers the best opportunity for preventing or reducing falls. Discussion about the fear of falling should be coupled with education about other factors that could increase the risk of falling, including decreased visual acuity, weakening muscles, unsafe home settings, medications, and cognitive decline.
One action a caregiver can take is to provide emotional support. Encourage the senior to overcome their fear, to try to put it out of their mind, and continue living life. However, remind them they should be cautious and take it slow, perhaps purchase a walker or cane. Each time a senior achieves an activity without falling, a long walk for example, help them build their confidence by providing encouragement. Tell them, “See that wasn’t so difficult. Everything was just fine.”
Gaining confidence is one of the best ways to reduce fear of any kind. One way older adults with a fear of falling can increase their confidence is to work at improving their strength and balance. There are exercise classes and programs specifically designed to improve balance and increase strength. Many of these classes include a free assessment at the beginning and end of the class to help each person understand her individual risk and demonstrate how much the exercises can help reduce that risk. That said, it’s also very important to help seniors learn how help themselves overcome their fear and prevent falling.
How Can Seniors Prevent Falls?
• Exercise regularly. It’s important that the exercises focus on increasing leg strength and improving balance, and that they get more challenging over time. Tai Chi programs are especially good.
• Ask their doctor or pharmacist to review their medicines—both prescription and over-the counter—to identify medicines that may cause side effects or interactions such as dizziness or drowsiness.
• Have their eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year and update their eyeglasses to maximize their vision. Consider getting a pair with single vision distance lenses for some activities such as walking outside.
• Make their homes safer by reducing tripping hazards, adding grab bars inside and outside the tub or shower and next to the toilet, adding railings on both sides of stairways, and improving the lighting in their homes.
While not all falls can be prevented, there are number of things that a senior and his or her family can do to help the senior reduce her fear of falling, thereby reducing her overall fall risk. Taking the time to assess the risks and increase the senior’s confidence can give her the chance to remain safely at home.
BLOG Date: Thursday, July 23, 2015
Writer: Ryan Allen