November is Falls Prevention Month

In Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults.

According to Fall Prevention Month statistics, over one-third of older adults will be admitted to long-term care after being hospitalized for a fall. Falls in older adults account for $2 billion in annual direct healthcare costs.

Every year, 1 in 3 Alberta seniors will fall.

Take action to reduce your risk.

Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults. The older we get, the greater the risk of falling becomes. Our bodies naturally change with age, and these changes affect the way we feel, move, and behave. 

• Older adults with muscle weakness are 4-5 times more likely to fall.
• Try to do 30 minutes or more of physical activity at least 5 days each week.
• Walking, dancing, Tai Chi, and cross-country skiing are a few great ways to be active.
  

A fall can have a devastating and lasting impact on an individual resulting in injury, chronic pain and reduced quality of life. Even without an injury, a fall can cause a loss of confidence and a reduction in activities for older adults.

• Older adults with low vision are 2.5 times more likely to fall.
  
• A comprehensive eye exam will test your vision and look for issues like glaucoma and cataracts.
  
• Alberta Health Care covers the cost of eye exams for adults 65 and older.
  

Some medications can also put you at risk of a fall.

• Seniors taking more than 3 - 4 medications are at a higher risk of falls.
  
• Some prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements can increase your risk of falling.
  

These actions can help you prevent a fall and stay independent:

• Learn more about how to lower your fall risk to prevent yourself from falling or falling again.
• Talk with a physiotherapist to get the best walking aid for your needs.
• Exercise to improve your strength and balance.
• Talk with a physiotherapist or our PCN Exercise Specialist about exercise to improve your balance.
• Talk to your health care provider if you are worried about falling, especially if it stops you from being active.
• Do 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week strengthening your muscles can reduce your risk of falling - our PCN Exercise Specialist can provide guidance and exercise routines.
• Keep active to improve strength and balance. 
• Talk with your doctor or health care provider about managing the need to rush to the toilet. Rushing could increase your risk of a fall. 
• Talk to your podiatrist or doctor if you have numbness in your feet; numbness can cause a fall.
• Review your medications, vitamins, and supplements with your pharmacist or doctor yearly or if your prescription changes or new medications are added. 
• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about medication side effects or causes of light-headedness. Sometimes an adjustment of dosage or type of medication can help.
• Are you sad or have concerns about anxiety or depression? Talk to your health care provider or doctor about how you are feeling.
• Visit an eye doctor yearly to check your eye health. Poor vision or a change in vision can increase the risk of a fall.
• Wear proper shoes, especially outside. Take extra care when walking on snow or ice-covered sidewalks or parking lots. Learn the "Penguin Walk".

Take this online assessment quiz to see if you are at risk of a fall.

Health care providers can print paper copies of this quiz, here.

Learn more at https://www.fallpreventionmonth.ca/

November is Fall Prevention Month

Every year, 1 in 3 Alberta seniors will fall.

Take action to reduce your risk.

Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults. The older we get, the greater the risk of falling becomes. Our bodies naturally change with age, and these changes affect the way we feel, move, and behave. 

• Older adults with muscle weakness are 4-5 times more likely to fall.
• Try to do 30 minutes or more of physical activity at least 5 days each week.
• Walking, dancing, Tai Chi, and cross-country skiing are a few great ways to be active.
  

A fall can have a devastating and lasting impact on an individual resulting in injury, chronic pain and a reduced quality of life. Even without an injury, a fall can cause a loss in confidence and a reduction in activities for older adults.

• Older adults with low vision are 2.5 times more likely to fall.
  
• A comprehensive eye exam will test your vision and look for issues like glaucoma and cataracts.
  
• Alberta Health Care covers the cost of eye exams for adults 65 and older.
  

Some medications can also put you at risk of a fall.

• Seniors taking more than 3 - 4 medications are at a higher risk of falls.
  
• Some prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements can increase your risk of falling.
  

These actions can help you prevent a fall and stay independent:

• Learn more about how to lower your fall risk to prevent yourself from falling or falling again.
• Talk with a physiotherapist to get the best walking aid for your needs.
• Exercise to improve your strength and balance.
• Talk with a physiotherapist or our PCN Exercise Specialist about exercise to improve your balance.
• Talk to your health care provider if you are worried about falling, especially if it stops you from being active.
• Do 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week strengthening your muscles can reduce your risk of falling - our PCN Exercise Specialist can provide guidance and exercise routines.
• Keep active to improve strength and balance. 
• Talk with your doctor or health care provider about managing the need to rush to the toilet. Rushing could increase your risk of a fall. 
• Talk to your podiatrist or doctor if you have numbness in your feet; numbness can cause a fall.
• Review your medications, vitamins, and supplements with your pharmacist or doctor yearly or if  your prescription changes or new medications are added. 
• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about medication side effects or causes of light-headedness. Sometimes an adjustment of dosage or type of medication can help.
• Are you sad or have concerns about anxiety or depression? Talk to your health care provider or doctor about how you are feeling.
• Visit an eye doctor yearly to check your eye health. Poor vision or a change in vision can increase the risk of a fall.
• Wear proper shoes, especially outside. Take extra care when walking on snow or ice-covered sidewalks or parking lots. Learn the "Penguin Walk".

Take this online assessment quiz to see if you are at risk of a fall.

Health care providers can print paper copies of this quiz, here.

Learn more at https://www.fallpreventionmonth.ca/

Pole Walking – is it beneficial ?

It’s becoming a common sight to see people out for a walk using walking poles. This trend is becoming more popular not just in Alberta, but across the country as well. “Nordic Pole Walking” (pole walking) was originally created in Finland in the early 1990s as a way for cross-country skiers to train during the summer months.  It was introduced as a low-impact form of exercise that involves walking with a pair of customized poles, similar to ski poles. The activity exploded across Europe in the 1990s and has grown to the point where more than 20% of Finns and about 10-15 million Germans now regularly pole walk. It is a well known fact that Europeans, as a whole, tend to lead more active lifestyles overall than North Americans. They have the right idea when it comes to making activity part of the daily routine! 

Pole Walking is a low impact form of exercise that can offer benefits for improved health and wellness as well as improved overall condition for people of all different levels of fitness.  It is becoming popular in the senior population and even hospitals and rehabilitation clinics are promoting the use of walking poles as a way for people to not only improve their cardiovascular health but to also improve their balance, posture and core strength.  Walking, of course, has long been known to be an excellent form of aerobic exercise on its own with easy access for most of the population.  Now, with adding in the use of the poles, it engages even more muscles groups in the whole body and gives a sense of security for those who are concerned about balance and fall prevention.

There are different forms of walking poles that are suitable for different people and purposes.  There are walking poles specifically designed for those who want to improve their fitness level and increase endurance and overall strength.  By engaging more muscles in the body, more energy is required when using the poles and this can improve cardiovascular fitness and strength.  

There also are poles specifically designed for rehabilitation and balance improvement. These help to decrease the weight/load bearing on the hips, knees and ankle joints  which is beneficial for rehabilitation following hip or knee replacements or for those  recovering from surgeries or fractures in the lower extremities.

Overall, walking poles help to improve balance by engaging the core muscles, therefore improving core strength.  Using poles will assist with maintaining balance with support from the poles and with keeping in an upright posture, rather than flexing forward at the trunk as seen with other assistive devices. Using the poles will require more strength and endurance than walking without the poles.

For more detailed information and educational videos for using the poles please go to http://urbanpoling.com

If you are attached to the LBD PCN and want to get more information or even try out the walking poles, make an appointment with the Exercise Specialist at 780-986-6624.