Falls are not Inevitable, They are Preventable
Every 29 minutes someone over the age of 65 falls. In 2009 falls resulted in 2.2 million hospital visits and 20,400 deaths. They are a major threat to the health, safety and independence of the active aging individual resulting in:
25% of all Hospital Admissions
40% of all Nursing Home Admissions
28.2 billion dollars annually to the cost of healthcare*
40% of those hospitalized do not return to their prior living arrangement.
*statistics courtesy of the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators.
It is not always possible to prevent the illnesses that change our lives, but it is possible to prevent or minimize most of the falls that plague our senior citizens.
Following this program, the participants will be able to:
1) Understand the reasons why seniors are more at risk of falling.
2) Identify common hazards at home and in the community that can lead to a fall.
3) Comprehend self-physical limitations after a thorough Physical Therapist evaluation.
4) Independently perform home exercises to help improve general strength.
1) Fall prevention Lecture with handout
-In dept review of all fall prevention precautions, causes and remedy.
-Practical ways to prevent falls in the senior community will be discussed.
2) Individual Assessment
-Initial physical therapy assessment focused on identifying individual’s needs.
3) Environment
-A home environment and community evaluation will be performed geared towards minimizing risks of fall.
4) Addressing identified problems
-The participant will be scheduled for an office visit where he or she will participate in activities that address identified problems and instructed with a home exercise program.
5) Independence
-The individual will demonstrate independence in performing specific exercises, functional activities and able to self assess potential hazards in his/her environment.
Yes! Your body’s complex system must get regular exercise in order to maintain or improve the system. With very little effort and stress on the rest of your body you can improve the ability of your three balance centers. You can improve your balance, decrease your risk of falls, and decrease the chances of encountering difficulties associated with falls. Fall prevention is important to maintain your health and independence; ATR’s fall prevention program can help you.
Balance is your body interacting with gravity so that you can identify where you and parts of your body are positioned in space.
Your brain gets balance input from three areas:
What you see with your eyes.
What you feel with your body.
What you sense with your inner ear.
These three systems work together to keep you upright and on your feet.
Balance deteriorates because of disuse, not age. As individuals get older, they tend to become less active causing the sensitivity of the three balance centers to diminish the same way the strength of muscles atrophy if you don’t use them.
Physical Therapy is covered by Medicare most private insurance companies generally cover this therapy, but please check with your own insurance carrier if you have any questions about your coverage.
No. In the state of North Carolina you do not need a doctor’s referral to see a physical therapist or to participate in a Fall Prevention Program. Upon your initial visit, a plan of care will be individually prescribed by the physical therapist and forwarded to your doctor.
My balance was so poor; it kept me from doing the things I love. Now I have confidents to walk my dogs again and go out with my husband without needing a cane.
