Written by Veronica Turner,
The ability to walk around your neighborhood or chase your grandchildren is a gift. But as seniors age, staying mobile becomes increasingly difficult due to muscle loss, balance problems, and other health issues.
Even just one fall can cause significant injuries that snowball into bigger problems. For seniors eager to stay steady and active, there are some proactive measures that can help improve mobility and limit the risk of falls.
If you’re interested in understanding what impacts geriatric mobility, and what can be done to support senior safety, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll take a look at the environmental and physiological factors that come into play, and explore strategies to promote better stability.
The Main Reasons Older Adults Fall
What are the primary culprits behind falls? For older adults, a host of different conditions or even just one can lead to a higher probability of falling. Often, the cause of falls is poor balance due to weakened muscles and more sedentary lifestyles. But balance isn’t the only trigger.
Along with vision and hearing problems, medications can lead to fatigue and disorientation. Conditions like orthostatic hypotension and cause quick blood pressure drops when someone stands up, hindering balance. Footwear that doesn’t fit well or lacks a strong tread can make uneven floors or slick surfaces that much more dangerous, too.
Ultimately, identifying age-related and environmental obstacles is critical to navigating the senior years safely. And committing to routine check-ups with healthcare providers can help catch risk factors and alert seniors to needed interventions.
Understanding Bodily Changes as We Age
With the aging process comes a loss in muscle mass. A lowered ability to produce proteins within the body and hormonal changes are among the biological factors contributing to muscle loss. Sarcopenia is the broader title for muscle atrophy that occurs as we age.
For seniors, muscle loss is most pronounced in the core and legs. If a senior cannot get out of bed or walk safely across their apartment because they lack the strength, the potential for devastating injuries goes up. Tack on the often silent issue of osteoporosis, a disease that triggers bone loss, and seniors have a recipe for problems.
Other internal changes are at play, too, as we age. Seniors will notice a diminished sense of their bodily position in space due to degradation within the nervous system. The number of nerve cells in the body and their processing speeds decline, leading to instances where seniors could stumble or lose their balance.
Further, ongoing health problems, like diabetes and arthritis, can contribute to mobility challenges.
Although many seniors can manage these conditions with medications, sometimes those medications lead to fogginess or dizziness. Some medications for blood pressure, for example, can cause side effects like fainting or fatigue. Seniors need to be mindful of when they’re taking medications and how they react to them before any physical activities.
Lastly, aging can contribute to poor vision and hearing. Without proper depth perception, seniors may fail to grasp that it takes longer to cross an intersection than they think. And with both hearing loss and vision changes, they may fail to see and hear critical warning signs or hazards.
How the Environment Impacts Safety
Fall statistics for seniors paint a concerning picture, with 25% of seniors over age 65 falling each year. Given the repercussions of falls, seniors and their caregivers need to prioritize creating safer home environments.
Rugs without grippers on slippery floors, for example, invite falls. Likewise, area rugs that bunch up on top of carpet can create uneven surfaces that make it more difficult to maintain balance.
Senior homes need ample light sources to ensure well-lit spaces. While mood lighting can set a pleasant ambiance, it also can prompt falls if changes in flooring or tripping hazards are hard to see. Homes and especially hallways should be outfitted with handrails. And bathrooms need grab bars for entering or exiting showers and bathtubs.
It’s also important to stay on top of cleaning. Cluttered rooms can make conditions ripe for falls. If you care for a senior, help them stay on top of decluttering to ensure that objects don’t lead to debilitating falls. Remove bulky furniture, too, to create clearer pathways that make moving around safely easier.
Beyond the home, the neighborhood in which a senior lives can shape their safety conditions. Crumbling or uneven sidewalks can cause tripping.
And if seniors fear walking outside their home due to poor infrastructure, they may stop leaving their home altogether, particularly if they cannot drive or lack access to transportation. This can cause social isolation, which can worsen physical and mental health.
Mental Health and Mobility
It may be less obvious, but a senior’s mental health can affect their mobility. Seniors that are fearful of falling won’t be as likely to engage in social activities. They’ll become more reclusive and sedentary, and possibly more anxious. And this, unfortunately, worses balance and muscle strength.
Additionally, significant mental health challenges like depression can limit a senior’s physical activity.
Many seniors are grieving the loss of spouses, friends, or other loved ones. And many seniors live away from close family members and may not have as many opportunities for social interaction. When this happens, seniors can sink into depression. They may lack the desire to move beyond a stationary position, contributing to a decreased sense of stability when they do walk.
The aging process also brings cognitive decline through conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s. Seniors may have poorer judgment and forget basic ideas, rules, or facts. They could lack the inability to plan or communicate, and they may be more prone to mood changes. With volatility and confusion comes the potential for impaired decision-making and physical danger, like falls. Caregivers and loved ones must work with seniors to manage mental health challenges so they can stay safe in their surroundings.
The Role of Healthcare Professionals
Preventing falls may rely on staying active and maintaining a clean home that is free of tripping hazards. But healthcare professionals play a vital role in helping seniors stay mobile and safe.
They can conduct a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) to see a senior’s full health picture. This assessment looks at physical, social, psychological, environmental, and functional limitations that a senior may face, and identifies areas of concern. In addition, a CGA helps outline potential interventions in a way that’s tailored to a patient’s specific needs.
Some interventions can include adding new physical activities to promote mobility. Perhaps seniors can benefit from physical therapy to enhance strength and improve balance, for instance.
They may want to explore Tai Chi, which focuses on slow physical movements, intentional breathing, and mindfulness. An activity like this allows seniors to tone their bodies while learning how to keep their mind alert and aware.
In some instances, walkers and canes can prevent falls as long as seniors choose one that’s appropriate for their needs. A cane or walker that isn’t properly sized can actually make mobility issues worse.
A cane should be at the right height to encourage good posture and have the right grip strength. Moreover, adjustable canes allow seniors to shift the height as their height and posture evolves. A qualified healthcare professional can guide seniors toward canes that will be a mobility asset.
In addition, regularly reviewing medications can help locate drugs that may be causing side effects like dizziness that contribute to mobility problems. Healthcare professions, like nutritionists, can help seniors choose dietary plans that fortify them more effectively, too.
A better diet loaded with vitamins and nutrients can help seniors feel more energetic and happier as they approach each day.
Caregivers and healthcare providers can spot changes in mobility and act as advocates and cheerleaders for seniors. When seniors may start to retreat due to declining health, a little encouragement and some adjustments can help encourage them to live a healthier, more mobile life.
Taking Preventative Measures
While some mobility issues are beyond anyone’s control, there are many proactive steps seniors can take to mitigate many mobility issues. Exercise can help prevent muscle loss and improve balance.
Going for a walk in the neighborhood or trying some stretching exercises are great ways to build endurance. Even better, making these activities a social affair can help seniors avoid isolation.
Eating a nutritious diet rich in protein and calcium can support muscles and bones. Along the same lines, seniors should make a point of staying hydrated. Dehydration can help prevent low blood pressure and fatigue. It also can elevate brain function and keep joints in good shape, all of which contributes to stronger mobility.
Seniors can stay current with annual eye and hearing exams to detect changes early. Seniors may need updated glasses prescriptions or hearing aids. Investing in these tools enables seniors to be more alert to their surroundings. And that can lower the potential for scenarios where seniors are unaware of oncoming traffic or yelling that may put them in danger.
Focusing on Mobility in Seniors
For seniors, mobility can be intimidating territory due to physical and mental changes they experience as they age. And when seniors feel limited by internal or external conditions, they can lose the independence and confidence that defined their younger years.
That’s why it’s so vital to identify factors that impact their mobility to improve quality of life. With help from caregivers, healthcare professionals, and loved ones, seniors can stay active and strong while avoiding the potential for falls.
Author Bio: Veronica Turner is a health and lifestyle writer with over 10 years of experience. She creates compelling content on nutrition, fitness, mental health, and overall wellness.
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