Fall Prevention is NOT a Balancing Act - How Staying Healthy Prevents Falls

We recently talked a little bit about making home a little safer for seniors. Making sure your loved ones are navigating an obstacle course at home every day can go a long way towards preventing a bad fall, but overall health and strength are really important, too.

The older we get, the more we have a tendency to just take it easy when we have some down time - I know I do! But sitting around, or being fearful of getting active can actually make mom & dad more prone to falling. Let’s look at some healthy lifestyle tips that can help prevent falls:

Regular exercise. An exercise program builds strength and stamina – from heart and lungs to muscle strength. Exercise also boosts energy and helps with depression. Whether it’s physical therapy, a few steps a day, light weight training or just stretching, exercise helps sharpen our natural balancing skills and improves our reflexes – at any age!

Diet. A healthy diet, supplemented with vitamins, can still help keep bones and muscles in good condition, even when we get older. Eating right isn’t just for kids! Don’t let dad have ice cream for dinner – make sure he gets some broccoli before he hits the Blue Bell. Vitamin D and extra Calcium can help as well.

Eye exams. Take mom and dad to get their eyes checked at least once a year – and more often if there is a noticeable change or problem with their vision. Wearing the wrong glasses can result in tripping over objects, misjudging distance or becoming a little disoriented – and all can lead to a fall.

Medications. Many meds have subtle side effects – including blurred vision or dizziness. Many older people also take multiple medications – both prescription and over the counter – that can interact to produce side effects as well. Make sure your loved ones’ primary physician knows ALL the medicines mom and dad are using on a regular basis and how they can affect them.

Medical conditions. Chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and COPD can cause dizziness and shortness of breath – which make us unsteady on our feet. Being aware of these conditions and taking extra precautions can help prevent an unnecessary fall.

In addition keeping a close eye on the overall health and well-being of the seniors in your care, you may want to think about an alarm system for a little peace of mind in case there is a fall. Alert Response offers the Personal Emergency Response Service (PERS), giving emergency help 24 hours a day. Staying as active as possible, eating right and seeing a doctor regularly can make a big difference, but it’s nice to know that extra help is there when we need it most.

Fun with fall detection

I can get longwinded so I am going to try and keep this brief and educational. My office is getting more and more calls asking about fall sensors so I decided to use this forum to help people to understand the technology

First of all, fall detection is not and never will be perfect. I would say that of all the fall sensors I have seen the best ones predict falls somewhere in the 90-95% range. 90-95% is great unless you are part of the 5-10% then it's not so great.

Fall sensors come in two types of technology, the first and most basic is a tilt switch. A tilt switch is best worn on the belt and will send a signal for help if the pendant tilts past a certain degree. This unit is good because 100% of the time it will send a signal when it tilts past that degree mark, bad if for some reason a fall occurs and the client doesn't fall to that degree i.e. passing out and falling against a wall or into a chair. The second technology is more advanced as it will detect a change in altitude as well as the speed of that change. A quality fall sensor will be able to tell the difference between somebody passing out and subsequently falling to the floor and somebody bending over to tie their shoes. With this technology there are more false positives along with a higher chance of a slow fall failing to register and send a signal.

Any fall sensor should have a panic button with it as well so that the client can summon help in the event they are still conscious. Most fall sensors will allow a 30 second to 4 minute window to allow the client to get up and start moving around. Some will even send two signals, one that says the client has fallen, and one that says the client is not moving.

The technology is getting better every year and I get excited to see where it will be in 5-10 years, I know, I know, I'm a dork. Contact me or any of your local providers to see the latest systems, they might just save a life.



We recently received a new fall sensor that I had the pleasure of testing. The results were impressive and the girls thought it was funny to watch me fall repeatedly (see photo). Another good thing that came from my practice fall was a discovery of the dirty carpet. I had the carpet steamed cleaned the next day.

Get Smart About Senior Care Costs

There are a variety of options available for any budget.

It's never too early to plan care for an aging loved one.
Before their health begins to decline, you and your family
need to agree on the kind of care they need, and how it will
be paid for.

To get an idea of the average costs of popular senior care
options, see below. And keep in mind that while your loved
one may be fine with occasional care now, they could need
more serious and expensive care in the future.

So, How much does it cost?

In-Home Technology
Personal Emergency Response (Medical Alarm)
Allows your loved one to age in place while having the ability to summon help 24 hours a day in the event of an emergency.
Cost:$37 per month.

Medication Management via a monitored medication dispenser
Dispenses medication up to 4 times per day. In the event of a missed dosage the unit notifies a live operator who then notifies family members or caregivers of the missed dosage.
Cost :47 per month.

In-Home Care
Enables your loved one to stay at home throughout every stage
of aging.
Cost: $29 per hour on average, but costs vary. (Source: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services).

Assisted Living
Offers your loved one an independent lifestyle, with trained
personnel on the premises to attend to their needs.
Cost: $36,372 per year (Source: MetLife Market Survey of
Nursing Home and Assisted Living Costs).

Nursing Homes
For elders who cannot care for themselves or have
significant medical issues that require round-the-clock
care.
Cost: Private room, $77,380; semi-private room, $69,715
(Source: MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home and
Assisted Living Cost).

Occasional Care
Periodic assistance with lawn care, transportation, and
grocery shopping. Cost varies according to need.

Thank you ElderCarelink

Signs that your loved one might need help

Next time you are visting a friend or relative, spend some time checking for signs that they might need help. Often times older adults in an effort to remain independent try to hide things that might cause concern for loved ones. Use the list below to help spot issues that might raise a red flag.

a. Daily housework not being performed
i. Tired
ii. Overwhelmed
iii. Forgetting

b. Mail piling up
i. Overwhelmed with amount of mail
ii. Constant letters from people asking for donations

c. Bills not being paid
i. Checking account not balanced
ii. Services being shut off

d. Weight loss
i. Shopping and food preparation not being done
ii. Eating habits changing

e. No food in refrigerator or spoiled food

f. Kitchen in disarray
i. Dishes piling up
ii. Pots with burned bottoms
iii. Water and mildew stains where water was left on
iv. Food left out

g. Poor hygiene
i. Wearing same clothing
ii. Not bathing regularly

h. Inappropriate clothing
i. Unseasonal clothes worn i.e. bathing suit in winter or sweater in the summer
ii. Clothes left off

i. Missing scheduled events
i. Church
ii. Doctors appointments
iii. Medications

j. Acting strange
i. Unusual conversations
ii. Phone calls at odd times
iii. Strange anxiety or nervousness

k. Depression
i. Sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, oversleeping, or daytime sleepiness)
ii. Sadness
iii. Fatigue
iv. Abandoning or losing interest in hobbies or other pleasurable pastimes
v. Social withdrawal and isolation (reluctance to be with friends, engage in activities, or leave home)
vi. Weight loss; loss of appetite
vii. Loss of self-worth (worries about being a burden, feelings of worthlessness, self-loathing)
viii. Increased use of alcohol or other drugs
ix. Fixation on death; suicidal thoughts or attempts

If you have concerns feel free to contact our office, 972.318.0161, or visit us online at www.alertresponse.com.

Holiday Realization

The holiday season is in full swing. The radio is playing all of the classic holiday songs, toy drives and seasonal sales are constantly beaconing, we have even seen snow here in North Texas. It is during this time of year that we often get to spend extended time with family and friends.
For those of us with aging family members this time with them can be very telling. What we might have missed during a quick visit can suddenly become apparent. I recently experience this with a family member. After spending a weekend together I realized the extent of her disabilty was broader than I had known. She was struggling to accomplish simple tasks and to make mundane decisions.
So the question is when you realize a parent or family member is struggling what can you do. The silver lining is that we are not alone. Numerous families are asking themselves this same question, so the resources are out there.
We previously posted a checklist titled Signs Your Loved One Might Need Help. It is not all encompassing, but it is a good place to start.
If you feel that your loved one is in need of assistance please check out some of the resources we have listed on the right side of the page or feel free to contact our office. We will be glad to help you find the help your family needs. Happy Holidays from all of us here at Alert Response.