Breaking a bone isn’t the end of the world when you’re young and spry, but as you get older, the consequences of taking a tumble can be dire. Here are just a few tips for keeping yourself safe as you become more prone to slips and falls.
Modify Your Home
It’s common for seniors to fall during every day, home-based activities like going up the stairs and climbing out of the bathtub. You can reduce your risk of injury by increasing the safety features in your house. For example, handrails on the stairs can keep you steady as you ascend and descend, and clap-on lights will stop you from fumbling in the dark even if your hands are occupied by a crutch or walker. You might also look into things like luminescent stickers for areas where your floor inclines or “drops off” a step.
A few other considerations that you may want to think about include grip mats in the bathroom, replacing the shower or bath with a walk-in shower, and customizing the kitchen space so that everything is in reach without needing to reach too low or too high to get something.
Increase Your Vitamin Intake
It’s natural to lose bone density as you age, but you can try to counter the onset of osteoporosis by increasing your vitamin intake. Three ounces of salmon will give you 447 IU of Vitamin D, and one cup of fortified milk will give you 115 IU. You can also take calcium-rich supplements, such as those from AlgaeCal, if you’d prefer to use that method to help increase your daily value (DV) intake. Just know that vitamins are something that you should be consuming on a regular basis so don’t expect results after increasing your intake on day one. It takes time and patience to see results.
Buy the Right Footwear
Non-slip footwear can be a great way to prevent falls both at home and when you’re out and about in the world. The key is to find a pair of shoes that will give you a lot of traction on the bottom. Rubber soles are popular, but anything with non-skid properties can help you reduce the risk of falling. Whatever you do, don’t walk around in slippery socks or sandals that offer no support and no defense against tottering.
If you don’t want to have to constantly be wearing shoes in your house, then another great idea would be to wear socks that have gripping fabric on them. This will help make it so that you can walk around tile and linoleum without the fear of slipping.
Perform Balance Exercises
Basic balance exercises can help you improve your posture and familiarize yourself with your own center of gravity. Try holding onto the back of a chair and lifting up one leg at a time. If you wobble, re-adjust your position until you’re standing both comfortably and steadily. You can also try balancing with your eyes closed or without holding onto the chair at all. Do this for a few minutes every day to keep yourself ready to prevent falls.
Aging is inevitable, but falling is not. Use these tips to prevent accidents and keep your bones in good health. You might be getting older, but personal safety is just as important at 60 as it is at 20.
