Take These 4 Steps To Prevent Falling

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September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month. There’s a lot to be concerned about when it comes to older Americans and their risk of falling.

The Centers for Disease Control lays out this one astonishing fact: 3,000,000 people age 65 and older take a fall each year. You read that correctly - 3 million. And that’s only the number we know about. That’s how many people seek emergency room treatment for consequences like head injuries and broken bones.

Lower the risk

At Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center, we want our older patients to take the risk of falling seriously. Take these 4 steps to minimize your risk:

  1. Begin a conversation with your doctor. It can be your primary care doctor or one of our board-certified podiatrists Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, and Dr. Joseph Saka. Any of these medical professionals can provide you with an individual fall risk assessment. Remember to review your medications with them and find out if any of them can cause dizziness or drowsiness.

Se habla español.

If you or your loved one prefer to begin the conversation about falls prevention with a Monmouth County podiatrist who speaks Spanish, Dr. Boyd is fluent.

  1. Remove obstacles at home. Put non-slip padding under area rugs. Clear pathways of newspaper piles, electric cords, etc. Improve the lighting in dark areas. Use the lighting in your home - seniors concerned about the electric bill have been known to risk walking around in the dark rather than turn a light on.

  2. Find your balance. Incorporate simple balance exercises into your day. Sit down and stand back up several times in a row. Hold on to a chair or counter and practice standing on one leg. Our in-house physical therapist Valerie Gregory, MSPT, CKTP can show you additional ways to strengthen your feet, ankles, legs, back, and core to improve your balance.

  3. Take care of your aching feet. Make an appointment with us to fix anything about your feet or ankles that makes walking difficult or uncomfortable. Call us at our offices in Howell or Jackson, New Jersey at (732) 905-1110 or make an appointment online.