Preventing falls: Practical tips to reduce your risk
In this webinar recording, Dr. Marla Beauchamp explores the key causes of falls and offers practical tips to improve your balance, strengthen your body, and make your environment safer. Learn how to stay active and independent as you age and reduce your risk of injury.
The five key messages from this presentation are:
- Falls with aging are a common and growing problem, but many falls can be prevented.
- Most falls happen when standing or walking. Balance is critical to avoid falls.
- The top risk factors for falls are history of a previous fall, chronic conditions, being frail, and having poor balance.
- Exercise that challenges balance can reduce your risk of falls.
- Other interventions that can reduce falls are minimizing environmental hazards, reviewing your medications, and having your eyes, feet, and hearing checked regularly.
You can also learn more about the following:
- 00:00 Importance and impact of falls
- 02:50 Preventing and understanding falls
- 04:52 What is balance?
- 07:17 Top risk factors for falls
- 12:04 Preventing falls in the home
- 12:44 Exercise is medicine for falls
- 19:12 Making your environment safer
- 21:10 Reviewing your medications
- 22:17 Checking your eyes and feet
- 23:44 New and ongoing research
- 30:55 Safe ways to fall
- 35:00 Getting up from a fall
- 36:51 Winter footwear
- 38:39 Is aquafit good for balance?
- 39:29 Using assistive devices
- 43:00 Regaining mobility after a fall
- 45:03 Parkinson’s disease and falls
- 48:00 Fall detection devices
- 50:14 Yoga or Tai Chi for balance?
McMaster Optimal Aging Blog Posts are written by faculty, staff, PhD students, and external collaborators, and are assessed for accuracy by members of the Portal scientific leadership team.
DISCLAIMER: These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professional. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org)