WELLINGTON COUNTY – Every 10 minutes in Ontario, an older person presents to hospital with a fall, according to Ontario Injury Prevention Statistics for the years 2007-08.
Health outcomes are affected by how long an older adult is immobilized and unable to get up.
For example, muscle cell breakdown begins within an hour of compression due to falling, according to Canada’s Seniors and Falls: Statistics and Prevention Comfort Keepers.
Research shows that as people age, falling can have a greater impact on the body because of decreased muscle strength, flexibility, and reduced mobility. Keeping an active and healthy lifestyle can reduce such risks.
Additional risk factors for falling include but are not limited to:
– multiple medications affecting balance and blood pressure;
– use of a mobility aid, such as a cane or walker;
– visual or cognitive impairments; and
– clutter in the home, or bunched carpets.
What about substance use?
Substance use adds stress on vulnerable body systems in older adults, and reduces a person’s ability to deal with the consequences of the aging process, according to a 2018 Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction report.
Risks aren’t limited to older adults struggling with substance use, but also those enjoying a glass of wine or cannabis edibles for dessert.
Metabolisms slow down with age, meaning it takes longer for substances to be processed by the body.
Eat nutritious meals while consuming substances, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and reduce risk. It’s also important to be aware of how medications may interact with consumed substances.
Aging healthily and preventing falls requires a full understanding of what might predispose someone to falling.
As part of Falls Prevention Month, the Canadian Mental Health Association is hosting a free webinar on Nov. 18 from 10:30 to 11:45am when substance use and how it plays into fall risk will be discussed along with fall prevention strategies which may have a lasting impact.
To register online, visit: tinyurl.com/59b9k9y5 or contact Amanda Connor by emailing: aconnor@cmhww.ca.
To get a hand with figuring out Zoom, or to watch the webinar at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library, email Ben Lorimer at: blorimer@guelphpl.ca.
This article was submitted by Susie Gregg, OT. Reg (Ont), Geriatric Resource Consultant for Primary Care at Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington and Christine Platt, Geriatric Systems Implementation Facilitator for the Waterloo Wellington Older Adult Strategy.
