Why Elders are at Risk of Losing Balance, Falling and Hurting Themselves

Why Elders are at Risk of Losing Balance, Falling and Hurting Themselves

• TribecaCare
• 19th Mar 2025

How often do we hear that someone we know who is elderly has fallen? Maybe fallen while in the bathroom, or fallen while getting out of bed, or even just blacking out and falling.

 

These falls are dangerous because as people get older, they generally suffer from osteoporosis and this means that their bones are brittle. So, a bad fall leads to the risk of a fracture. From a fractured hip to a serious head injury which can even lead to death – making sure that elders are not at the risk of falls is a necessity.

 

Why do Elderly People Fall and Hurt themselves and are also, At Risk for Accidents?

 

1. Physiological Changes:

 

Ageing bodies have reduced muscle mass and strength. This impacts the older person’s ability to walk steadily and remain stable when standing upright and moving. Strong muscle tone is needed for balance.

 

Another reason for falls is weakened limbs and the ability to move in a coordinated manner. Lack of bone density causes weakness in limbs. This is the condition known as osteoporosis. Brittle and porous bones reduce the strength in long limbs (like the shins and legs) which in turn affects their weight-carrying capacity. Osteoporosis manifests itself in painful joints and aches and pains, but the most dangerous corollary to brittle bones (apart from the risk of falls) is that the falls themselves can cause fractures.

 

Poor eyesight. With age comes different kinds of problems with vision and the ability to see clearly. Cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration – all of these can affect vision and thus make it difficult to negotiate different levels in steps, detect loose rugs and carpets, negotiate ledges and threshold barriers, unevenly paved walkways and footpaths. Poor eyesight makes it difficult to gauge depth and contrasts – think of a poorly lit staircase!! The lack of peripheral vision can lead to an elderly person not being able to see the jutting-out corner of a shelf or cupboard and thus, fall prey to the risk of a very hard knock to the knees and shins, or even the head.

 

Hearing loss is also dangerous. The inability to hear a car coming when crossing the road has caused many an accident on the roads when an elderly person is crossing without seeing whether he or she is crossing on a red light or green or whether there is oncoming traffic. Another condition is a medical problem with the middle ear which can lead to imbalance and vertigo.

 

Most elders suffer from some form of a chronic disease like high blood pressure, diabetes or arthritis. All of these can cause weakness and the inability to walk with confidence. Arthritis and painful knee and hip joints can make it very difficult for the sufferer to keep steady on his or her feet. “My knees buckled” is a common complaint that we hear from an older person after a fall. An added risk is from a condition known as spondylitis which affects the normal support structure of the spine. Cervical spondylitis of the neck region is often the cause of spells of vertigo and dizziness.

 

Degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s, Dementia and Alzheimer’s will all affect a senior person’s ability to walk and stay safe while upright and in motion. Apart from general weakness and fatigue, these diseases cause impairment of cognitive functions and in the coordination of limbs. A shuffling and unsteady walk is commonly seen in such patients. The irony is that along with the reduced mobility, there may also be an add-on consequence, which is “fear of falling.”

 

A vicious cycle is follows: the elderly person does not want to move or walk because of the fear of falling down. But the more he or she does not walk or move the muscles – there is steady degradation of those very bones and muscles which are necessary for walking and movement. It is a small step then to progress to the use of a walking stick and then to a “walker or a wheelchair”.

 

2. Circumstantial and Environmental Factors

 

Medications: Older people take a lot of medication for various illnesses. Many of these have side effects such as dizziness, lightheadedness and drowsiness. These will certainly affect safe walking and can cause falls. Many drugs have written warnings on the label to avoid driving when on a regimen of such drugs.

 

It is imperative that homes must be kept safe for seniors.

 

There are many kinds of danger spots and home hazards which put seniors at risk. Poor Lighting. Loose rugs. Lack of railings on stairs. Lack of grab bars in the bathroom. Loose slippers. Trailing hemlines. Lamps kept at a low level. Cluttered and poorly arranged furniture. All these situations can cause falls and accidents.

 

3. The Cost of Falls and Accidents

 

Families and Caregivers must understand the consequences of a senior person falling down.

 

Going to hospital for setting a fracture is costly in terms of the finances involved and the home help and care needed, post-hospitalisation. A very bad fracture which may need complex surgery will lead to a prolonged hospital stay, followed by high level nursing care at home afterwards. Then there will be the need for rehabilitation and physiotherapy to get strength back into the muscles again. Often counselling will be required, because the senior person may develop a fear of walking alone, in case there is another fall.

 

A simple or complex fracture can be dealt with, through routine medical procedures. But a fall which leads to severe blood loss can cause death. Head injuries and concussion may lead to strokes and long-term bran damage from internal bleeding inside the cranium.

 

4. Prevention is the Key

 

Take steps to make sure that your senior loved one at home or the senior person in your charge as a care-giver is not placed at the risk of falling. Make sure that the home environment is safe. Check regularly to see that the prescribed medications do not have side effects which can cause vertigo and falls. Regular doctor’s check-ups are needed to make sure of good vision, blood pressure, sodium and potassium levels, osteoporosis and evaluation for knee or hip replacement surgery, if required.

 

Exercise is needed for maintaining good muscle tone and healthy bones. At an early stage, motivate the senior person to pursue walking as a form of exercise. Every senior may not want to get a trainer or go to a gym, but learning some specific balance-improvement exercises and even doing Yoga or Chair Exercises at home is important for keeping a steady gait.

 

Hydration is essential. There is a minimum requirement for drinking water in all human beings, young and old. Poor hydration can cause dizziness and lack of balance. Poor hydration can also cause urinary tract infections and poor bowel movement.

 

Improved Diet and Dietary Supplements. Regular medical check-ups may reveal the need for Vitamin D and Calcium supplements for improved bone health. There is also a need to focus on the normal dietary requirements of an elderly person – proteins to build muscle are needed and may have to be balanced if there are other conditions which preclude an ideal level of consumption of chicken or meat and eggs.

 

5. Talk to a Geriatric Specialist

 

As a person gets older, it becomes difficult to run to a number of different specialist who prescribe different kinds of drugs for different illnesses. However, often this may be unavoidable. Try to consult with a Geriatric Specialist, if there is such a practitioner nearby. Geriatric Specialisation which concentrates specifically on the problems of older people is a new discipline which has now become popular all over the world for dealing with the multi-faceted problems of an ageing population.