Jordan: Protecting the Elderly from Falls and Fractures
The risk of elderly individuals experiencing falls and the subsequent health hazards, including injuries such as fractures and bruises, is known to increase as they age. In some cases, these incidents can even lead to fatal consequences. What are the reasons behind these falls and what preventive measures can be taken?
Causes of Elderly Falls
Dr. Ahmed Ali, a specialist in internal and digestive diseases as well as geriatric medicine, highlighted several factors that can contribute to falls among the elderly:
- Muscle Weakness: Loss of muscle strength can make it difficult for the elderly to maintain balance and stability, leading to the inability to stand firmly.
- Loss of Balance: Aging can lead to changes in the inner ear’s balance system, making falls more likely and resulting in the inability to maintain balance while walking.
- Vision Problems: Poor vision or eye problems can negatively affect a person’s ability to identify environmental hazards, potentially leading to collisions or falls.
- Chronic Health Conditions: Diseases such as diabetes or heart conditions can impact body strength and mobility, diminishing the ability to engage in physical activity.
- Surrounding Conditions: Carpets or slippery floors can increase the risk of falls, especially when carrying heavy objects or walking on wet surfaces without taking precaution.
Complications
Dr. Ali emphasized that falls among the elderly can have significant health and social implications. These include physical injuries such as fractures and bruises, leading to a major impact on the quality of life for the elderly. Additionally, increased medical costs and the loss of independence can result from the need for post-fall medical care and treatment, as well as the potential for increased mortality rates, especially in cases of serious injuries.
Furthermore, falls among the elderly may lead to mental health issues, increased levels of anxiety and depression, and a loss of self-confidence, affecting their desire to move and participate in activities, potentially causing isolation due to fears of future falls.
Preventive Measures
To protect the elderly from falls, Dr. Ali suggested several measures aimed at providing a safe environment and promoting health, including:
- Increasing home lighting and avoiding dark shadows.
- Removing obstacles from walkways.
- Ensuring carpet stability and securing staircases if present.
- Using walking aids such as walkers or canes for stability.
- Providing support during bathing by using assistive tools in the bathroom, such as rubber mats and slip-resistant bath stools.
- Strengthening muscles and improving balance through exercises that enhance muscle strength and stability.
- Ensuring furniture stability to avoid posing a risk to the elderly.
- Regular medical care, including continued routine check-ups and treatment adjustments if necessary.
- Blood pressure control to reduce the likelihood of dizziness and fainting.
- Encouraging the elderly to engage in regular physical activity to strengthen muscles and maintain physical fitness.
Necessary Steps Following a Fall
Dr. Ali outlined the necessary steps if an elderly individual experiences a fall:
- Contact emergency services.
- Provide comfort.
- Avoid immediately lifting the elderly if they are in pain and wait for medical professionals to arrive.
- Assess injuries and examine the body for bruises or fractures.
- Provide first aid by applying ice to the affected areas to reduce swelling and pain.
- If the injury is minor, monitoring the condition may suffice; however, consulting a physician is essential to confirm the diagnosis and provide continuous care.
Reasons for Loss of Elderly Mobility
According to orthopedic and joint surgery consultant Dr. Mohammed Dawood Jamous, the flexibility and speed of body movement depend primarily on the efficiency of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems.
Aging imposes a toll on the body’s movement system, diminishing joint efficiency and impacting the nervous system’s ability to react quickly to external forces. The severity and forms of fractures, according to Dr. Jamous, depend on the nature of the injury and the musculoskeletal system’s efficiency at the time of injury. Most elderly injuries result from low-energy incidents, such as slips during movement or falls from low heights.
Furthermore, fractures may affect the central musculoskeletal system, including the skull, spine, and pelvis, or the peripheral system, including the upper and lower extremities. The complexity and severity of fractures increase with the need for treatment complexity, such as surgical intervention, the duration required for healing, body rehabilitation, and regaining mobility. The limitations of movement can lead to several negative effects, such as respiratory infections, venous and arterial thrombosis, and skin ulcers.
Dr. Jamous warned that osteoporosis and bone weakness increase the likelihood of fractures and their complexity in the event of accidents, further limiting the body’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to prevent falls or external forces.
Role of Nutritional Supplements and Physical Exercise
Dr. Jamous emphasized that essential elements for bone building, such as vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin D and calcium, play a crucial role. It is essential to take the required daily amount of these elements and undergo laboratory tests to ensure their sufficiency in the body’s stores, along with bone density checks, especially for the elderly, and initiate appropriate treatments.
Regular physical exercise unquestionably contributes to raising bone efficiency and strength, along with strengthening the surrounding muscles, maintaining joint flexibility, enhancing the body’s coordination, and its ability to maintain balance and provide appropriate responses to the musculoskeletal system when exposed to accidents.
Maintaining cardiovascular health, including the heart, blood vessels, and blood itself, is an integral part of preventing falls.
Dr. Jamous advised that the primary goal of treating fractures in the elderly is to assist the body in healing properly and rehabilitating it with minimal discomfort and in the shortest time possible, to prevent any immediate complications or limitations in the future.
Under this umbrella, conservative fracture treatments, such as splints and bandages, or surgical procedures as per necessity, are followed by special care for the patient’s general health status and body functions, then rehabilitation is key in restoring mobility.
