I fell the other day! All because I wanted to go outside for a healthy walk on a warm winter day.
Well, that is not exactly the reason I fell. I fell because I was trying to be a good person.
Wait, that is not exactly right either. Here is what really happened. There is a narrow path between my neighborhood and the park where I was going to walk. I was heading up the path and an older couple was coming down the path. There was not room for all of us on the path, so I stepped off, onto the wet leaves to let them pass. As soon as my foot hit the wet leaves, I felt it start to slide. As much as I tried, I was unable to regain my balance and down I went. Stopped myself with my left hand and my right knee.
Image by Teresia Moore
When I looked up, the faces of the older couple showed such concern, I knew that my fall had been less than graceful. I was able to get myself up, and feeling completely embarrassed, I told them I was ok and continued on to the park.
Before I got too far, I stopped to pull up my pant leg and check out my knee. It was scrapped but not bleeding. That was good. I was determined to get my walk in. My knee was sore so I walked a bit more slowly than usual, but I did my three laps.
By the time I got home my knee was throbbing. I put an ice pack on it and took some Tylenol. Every time I got up or tried to change position, I felt my knee stiffening up. I treated it several more times with an ice pack, hoping to keep the swelling down and by the morning, I did feel much better.
My fall got me to thinking about how in life we fall and get back up. I think that is a discussion for another blog. For this discussion, I want to focus on the greater risks we face as we get older, when it comes to falls.
You know me, I do not take on the mindset of being old. I also embrace the Wisdom of getting older and recognize that we don’t “bounce” like we used to. So, I continued my research.
Please don’t just scan this list. Think about it as you read down the list. Here is my personal analysis of each item and what I can do about it. I certainly do not want to fall again!
Lower body weakness: I do a lot of sitting in front of the computer and my left leg has been giving me trouble for several years. I have gone the PT route, and I do try to go out for regular walks. I am now going through some other tests to determine the cause of the leg pain so I can figure out what to do about it.
I recently had a physical and my Vitamin D levels are good. I also take a supplement so that the level stays good.
I am not taking any medications that cause dizziness or balance issues and my vison is ok.
However, balance has always been an issue for me. Even as a young child, I couldn’t roller skate or water ski. And I was always falling off my bike. I must have been absent when they were handing out the coordination genes. I have rarely let this stop me though. I Love hiking and although I may hike more cautiously now, I still love being out in the woods.
Slippery, wet surfaces, like the wet leaves I stepped onto. Wet bathroom floors, slippery sidewalks, icy sidewalks, all of these are risk factors. In the future, I will think about it before I step out onto slippery leaves or other slippery surfaces. Testing it first makes a lot of sense.
That leaves the home hazards. I have been aware for a while that I needed to replace the rugs in my bathroom. I have almost tripped on them several times. As a result of my fall, I ordered new rugs from Amazon that have nonskid linings. They should be here today. My other home hazard is my sweet cat, Pepper. Sometimes she gets a wild hair and will speed run from one end of the house to the other. If I am in the way, she does not stop. I stop and move out of her way. Otherwise, I would definitely get tripped up.
So, what have I learned from this fall?
Falls happen when we least expect it. Could my fall have been prevented? As I said, I could have checked to see how slippery the leaves were before stepping onto them. The thought never crossed my mind. I suspect it will next time.
I also realize that I am lucky to have not been more seriously hurt. As a kid or even as a young adult, we would fall, get a bandage, and keep going. As I am approaching 70 this year, I realize that I need to be more careful and that a bandage will not always be the fix. Being prepared and doing what we can to mitigate our risks is part of being wiser.
I hope to not become one of the fall statistics I mentioned earlier. I hope you are not one of the fall statistics either. Remember, we are never too old to dream a new dream or set a new goal. How about setting a goal to reduce your risk of falls? Which of the risk factors could you take some action on?
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Originally Published on HeyBoomer.biz
