The first day of fall is not only the start of a new season, but it’s also Falls Prevention Awareness Day. This year, that day is September 22.
Bill Threadgill is a physical therapist with Covenant. He said said there’s a list of questions you can ask yourself to see if you might be at risk of a fall.
“First of all, if you’ve had enough birthdays, so if you’re 64 and older, that is something to pay attention to,” Threadgill said. “If you’re on four or more medications. If you’ve fallen in the last year, you might want to pay attention.”
“Do I have trouble regulating my blood pressure? Do I have vision problems? Is it a little tough to see sometimes? Do I feel dizzy? Do I have vertigo? When I turn to change directions, do I get a little off balance?” Threadgill said.
“Do I feel comfortable holding onto things, just even brushing a finger along a wall, do I feel more secure if my hand is touching something?” he said.
He said if you’re answering yes to some of those questions, you can ask your doctor for a screening.
“The injuries that result from these falls can be disastrous, so it can be a broken bone, a scrape, a scratch, pneumonia, an infection, there are many things that are unforgiving from a fall, and so we really want to prevent that,” he said.
He also said one of the big things you can do to help prevent a fall is staying hydrated.
“I really want to emphasize get plenty of water, because that keeps your blood volume up, keeps your blood pressure in your head and neck up,” he said.
