The small matter of "wrestling" may not be a big deal for young people, but for the elderly, it may be related to the quality of life and even life !!!
There are many reasons for the elderly to fall, and the biggest impact is the following two factors.
environmental factors
The ability of the elderly to identify and avoid environmental hazards is reduced due to their frail health and high incidence of geriatric diseases.
For example, the floor design is unreasonable, the elderly are very easy to fall accidentally at the corner of the stairs or when going up and down the steps; poor lighting and improper handrails will make the elderly unable to detect the danger of falling in time.
Physiological factors
Decreased gait stability and impaired balance function in the elderly are the main reasons. Cerebral arteriosclerosis and insufficient cerebral blood supply can easily cause dizziness and reduce the ability to balance. Sudden cerebral infarction, coronary heart disease, chest pain, and premature beats are also common causes. Blurred vision and hearing loss will directly affect the judgment of the elderly on obstacles.
Risk factors for falls may be hidden in various parts of family life, and some seemingly innocuous inconveniences may hide fatal risks for the elderly.
01 Floor
No matter which room, the floor is the first place we focus on checking. You can check it in the order of walking first and looking later.
According to the route of the elderly's daily activities, walk around the room, mainly check the following two:
✔ Are there any small pieces of furniture in the way?
If so, you need to move the furniture to a place that doesn't get in the way.
✔ Do I need to walk through the wires during walking?
For example, terminal blocks, network cables, electrical plugs, etc. If so, try to tape the wires to the wall and not clump them on the floor.
✔ Are there towels, clothes, books, shoes on the floor?
If you have one, be sure to pick it up. Arrange a more convenient place for the elderly to put clothes, books and other miscellaneous items. If the elderly have the habit of throwing things on the ground, try to help them tidy up every day to avoid falling.
02 Steps, thresholds
✔ Are there stairs and steps in the living environment of the elderly?
If there is, you cannot put any debris on the steps and stairs. Especially longer soft objects, such as scarves, bath towels, long carpets, etc.
If there is little difference between the steps, stairs and the ground decorum elsewhere, it is best to attach eye-catching tape to the edges as a reminder, and the tape that can reflect the light at night is the best.
✔ How about lighting at the stairs?
There should be good lighting on the stairs, and light switches should be set up on and off the stairs.
✔ Is there a difference between the floors of different rooms?
These small "thresholds" may trip the elderly, and the newly renovated houses try to avoid these situations as much as possible when renovating, and if they can't avoid it, they can also be reminded by eye-catching signs.
03 Kitchen, bathroom
✔ When the elderly use the kitchen, do they often bend over and pad their feet?
The kitchen used by the elderly should put the commonly used things on the countertop within reach, avoiding frequent foot pads and bending. If you can't fit on the countertop, you can put it in a drawer or in the cabinet below. Try not to put things in the top cabinet that needs to be padded or even climbed.
✔ Is there any anti-slip measures in the bathroom?
A non-slip floor mat should be placed at the bathroom door to dry the water from the soles of the shoes in time to avoid slipping the floor of other rooms.
Anti-slip mats should be placed in the shower to avoid the elderly from falling while bathing.
In the toilet, bathtub, shower should be equipped with armrests, so that the elderly can borrow power when they get up.
04 Bedroom
✔ Is it convenient for the elderly to turn on and off the lights when they sleep?
The bedroom where the elderly live should be equipped with a double control switch, and the lights can be turned off directly in the bed when sleeping, and there is no need to get up. If it is impossible to install a double control switch, a table lamp can be placed at the head of the bed to avoid the elderly from groping and walking in the dark at night.
✔ Does the elderly's room have a toilet?
The elderly use the toilet more frequently at night, and the living room should be as close as possible to the toilet, and it is necessary to ensure that the lights can be turned on conveniently at night.
05 What should the elderly pay attention to when wearing?
➊ Clothes, especially pants, should fit well, and do not wear fat clothes;
➋ Do not wear shoes with shoelaces, try to avoid bare feet and wear slippers, if you feel uncomfortable wearing shoes at home, you can wear floor socks with a non-slip design at the bottom;
➌ With a suitable pair of reading glasses, eye diseases such as cataracts should be treated in time;
➍ It is recommended to carry a telephone or a device that can call the police, such as a bracelet, to avoid having no way to ask for help when you fall alone.
It should be reminded that the following are a few "peak hours" when the elderly are prone to falling:
- Get up: At this time, blood pressure, blood sugar and other indicators may be unstable, easy to dizziness, headache, dizziness, chest tightness and so on.
- Bathing: The bathroom is slippery and slippery, and the temperature rises to cause vasoconstriction and increased sweating, resulting in hypoxia, dizziness, dizziness, etc.
- Getting up at night: the number of night ups in the elderly increases, and the vision becomes worse, coupled with the unfavorable legs and feet, it is difficult for the body to maintain balance.
- Answering the phone: Some elderly people will reflexively answer the phone when they hear the phone ringing, ignoring the coordination of body movements.
- Take the escalator: the balance of the elderly is poor, even if they support the handrail, they may not stand steadily. Try to choose a straight elevator, and the escalator should be held with your feet on equal shoulders and standing apart.
The following 7 exercise methods can increase muscle strength and avoid the occurrence of falls, it is recommended that the elderly do it 2 to 3 times a week, and it is best to make sure that there are people around when practicing.
Stand in the corner
Stand with your back to the wall, legs shoulder-width apart, for 1 minute; slowly reduce the distance between your feet, close your eyes, and hold for 1 minute. Those with poor balance need to support a chair.
Stand in tandem
Place one foot directly in front of the other (the toes and heels touch), and if it feels difficult, the distance between the feet can be slightly larger. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat 3 to 4 times. During the exercise, you can use your hand to touch the wall or fix the object to maintain balance.
To increase the difficulty, you can walk in tandem, that is, put one foot in front of the other with the heel close to the tip of the toe.
Sit-stand training
Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet naturally flat. Sit on the front 2/3 of the chair with your hips, use the strength of your legs, stand up, stand firm and then sit down slowly. Repeat 5 times without the help of the power of your hands.
Elderly people with poor balance can face fixed objects, such as standing at a desk or having a family member in front of them to protect them.
Lie on your back and raise your legs
Lie on your back, straighten your legs up to as perpendicular to the ground as possible, pause for a moment and slowly lower and restore. Each leg is repeated 10 times as a group, a total of 3 sets are completed, with a break of 30 seconds between groups, and 3 to 4 times a day.
Bridge type
Bend your knees and lay your feet flat at shoulder width, lift your body up while contracting your hip muscles vigorously, pause for a moment at the very top of the movement, and return to your starting position. 10 times for a group, a total of 3 sets, 30 seconds of break between groups, practice 3 to 4 times a day.
Stand up and raise your heels
Stand with your hands on the countertop, feet shoulder-width apart, and stomp the tiptoes of both feet to lift the heels of both feet off the ground. Do it 10 times in a row for a group, complete 3 sets, and practice 3 to 4 times a day.
Step on the steps
Put your right foot on the steps first, your left foot up and down the steps, and keep your right foot on the steps. Keep your body stable during your workout. Repeat the right foot 10 times, then change the left foot to do the same.
Finally, it should be reminded that the elderly should do regular vision and body examinations every year; rationally plan their diet, pay attention to supplementing high-quality protein, and eat some eggs, lean meat and other foods appropriately. Mainly high-quality protein, divided into 3 meals evenly.
It's easy for the elderly to fall due to muscle loss, so it's more important to pay attention to your daily protein intake and do some exercise.