Falls in older people

From a survey by the Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior, it was found that Thailand has a population of older people (aged more than 60 years) of about 14 million in all, or 21.58 percent of the whole population, which makes Thailand a complete aged society. The important problem that is met often and that causes injury, disability, and death among older people is falling. From the survey it was found that those aged 65 years and above are at risk of falling at 28-35 percent, and that it is also the cause of death ranked second, after accidents on the road.

There are a great many causes of falls, such as certain underlying conditions, impairment of sight or of hearing, certain medicines, an unsuitable environment, numbness of the feet, and others.

Advice for preventing falls

1. Keep the body moving, and exercise regularly, in order to maintain the strength of the muscles and balance. Easy examples are stretching the muscles if one has kept still for a long time, walking instead of driving, using the stairs instead of the lift, or doing housework or the gardening one likes during the day

2. Eat food that is nourishing, so as to have enough energy during the day

3. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, or about 1.5 litres a day, to prevent symptoms arising from a lack of water, or from low blood pressure, such as dizziness, which can cause a fall

4. Have the health of the eyes and the sight checked regularly, including the spectacles worn, at least every 2 years, because sight is important to balance

5. Have the health of the ears and hearing checked regularly, including the hearing aid, because hearing is important to balance. If the hearing changes, one should go to see a doctor promptly to find the cause and to treat it

6. Control the underlying conditions and the medicines used regularly. For example, if a diabetic patient has low blood sugar, or an older person has low blood pressure, it can cause dizziness and nausea; or if too much of certain medicines is taken, such as medicines that act to make one drowsy, it may cause a fall

7. Exercise in order to build up the strength of the bones, with an emphasis on exercise that carries impact, such as walking or cycling, and also choose to eat food high in vitamin D and calcium, such as small fish, milk, and eggs

8. Look after the health of the feet regularly, particularly diabetic patients. If there is pain or numbness of the feet, go to see a doctor promptly for assessment and treatment. One should choose to wear shoes of a size that fits well, both inside the house and outside it. Walking barefoot, or in only socks, is not recommended; the shoes that are not recommended are high-heeled shoes

9. Arrange the environment in the house so that it is safe, for example having enough light, having a handrail in the area of a raised walkway or the stairs, having no objects obstructing the way, keeping electrical cords, rugs, or anything that may cause a trip tidied away, taking care over walkways outside the house that are slippery. If one wants to reach for something in a high place, one should ask for help from another person, and should not stand on a chair. Take care over the pets in the house; a bell may be put on the collar so that it makes a sound