Falls Prevention

According to the National Council on Aging and CDC, 35% of adults ages 65 and older fall every year. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of non-fatal trauma related hospital admissions among older adults. Each year, at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures caused due to falls. Every year, about $50 billion is spent on medical costs related to non-fatal fall injuries. This figure is expected to rise in the next 10 years.

 

Causes of falls

• Chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, problems with thyroid, nerves, etc

• Vision and hearing loss

• Low blood pressure

• Side effects of medications

• Muscle weakness, dizziness, dementia 

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How to prevent falls

• Stay active

• Stay hydrated

• Discuss with your MD and therapist about side effects of your medications

• Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing vision or hearing changes

• Your therapist will discuss with you on home modifications necessary to keep you from falling

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Optimize Physical Therapy utilizes standardized tests and measures for individualized treatment plan to treat most types of balance disorders. Our focus is fall prevention and we employ tailored balance retraining and vestibular exercises, gait and safety training and muscle strengthening in our plan of care.

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Talk to your primary care physician about getting a referral for Optimize Physical Therapy to have a licensed PT complete a falls risk assessment to determine your falls risk and help you lead a safe and healthy life.

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