Kim Shorts: Falling is not fun

Falling can be dangerous at any age, and more so as you get older. I can attest to that. I’ve had a number of falls in the past few years that really stuck with me. Three of them involved snow or ice. One did not … and that floor mat won.

Since it is Fall Prevention Month, here are some interesting facts from the Seniors' Falls in Canada: Second Report from the Government of Canada, and from the Canadian Fall Prevention Curriculum (CFPC). While this information is focused on seniors, aged 65 and older, I am sure everyone can find a few tips that would help at any age … falling is not fun:
 

• Twenty to 30 per cent of seniors experience one or more falls annually
• Falls cause of 85 per cent of seniors’ injury-related hospitalizations
• Falls cause 95 per cent of all hip fractures among seniors, aged 65 and older
• Falls can be prevented

It gets worse. Sixty-one per cent of injury-related deaths for seniors are due to falls, and more than 4,800 Canadians, aged 65 and over, die each year as a direct result of a fall.

My last incident involved a thick mat in a kitchen. Experts will tell you that this is not safe. Scatter mats around the house can indeed be a tripping hazard.

I learned how to fall after a good friend, who was a nurse, told me that when people fall - and if they do so badly - like hitting the back of their head - it could lead to disaster. If you do hit the back of your head, you should get yourself checked out by a doctor even if you feel okay, she told me. Hitting your head could lead to a concussion or worse, for example. If not treated, it could lead to more health problems or even death. What I learned from my friend, the nurse, was literally mind-blowing.

My friend showed me how to land safely when experiencing a fall. First, she told me to tuck my chin into my chest. Why? Because when you fall on ice, for example, there is a tendency to fall backwards and to snap back the head because your head is heavy and, as a result, it may be the first thing to hit the ground.

The second tip she passed on was to try to tuck in your arms and turn to your side – to fall onto your side or butt because they tend to be the fleshier part of your body and may better take the brunt of the fall. I’m not saying this is a perfect solution to what to do when you’re experiencing a fall, but I believe it has helped me avert catastrophe in those past incidents I’ve experienced.

I share this because that first fall - after being armed with information on perhaps how best to manage one - came as I was walking our dog, Joplin, in the winter several years ago. We hit an icy sidewalk that was also, weirdly enough, on an angle. I did one of those Charlie Chaplin moves where my feet repeatedly went out from under me. I could not find any sound purchase on the ground. I realized I was going to fall, no matter what.

I could feel my head snapping backward to meet the ground. It was like slow motion where I remembered what my friend told me to do. I quickly pulled my head forward and tucked in my chin, then leaned to one side and curled up like a ball as I went down. I landed on my side as a whoosh of air arose from my chest. I came away unhurt.

Then there was that fall about two years ago when I stepped off a front step that was icy. I slipped and found myself falling face forward luckily onto the snowy-covered grass. In this instance, I tucked my arms and elbows to my sides with both hands out. When I hit the ground, I landed in the plank position. I thanked the coaches at the local gym profusely for all that weight-training they put me through. I felt very prepared to take the fall. I came away once again unscathed.

If you do fall, stay calm and take some deep breaths. Check yourself for any injuries. If you need to, call out for help or try to reach a phone to call for help. If you feel you can get up, look for any piece of sturdy furniture that may support helping you get back up. Try to come to a kneeling position and use the furniture to help you get up. There are more tips found here.

There is a higher risk of falling as you age. With that comes a higher risk of hospitalization.

There can be many things contributing to a fall that we may not have control over. The best we can do is take precautions, be aware of our surroundings and be aware of what we can do avoid falling. These include using assistive devices when walking, educating ourselves on best practices, making environmental safety modifications such as not using scatter mats, participating in exercise programs, and/or simply being active.

There are some great fall prevention tips and related information at these websites: Canadian Fall Prevention, and Parachute.

So, the reason I am sharing these stories is because falling can be dangerous. Good physical health can help avoid or mitigate some of those dangers.

Now, I will point out that I am much more cautious about going outside when there is ice or too much snow. Walking Joplin is off limits under those conditions.