Falls are some of the biggest health issues that seniors might encounter because of the longterm effects seniors can experience afterward. To avoid injuries and a loss of independence because of a possible fall, seniors might want to consider physical therapy to help them reduce their fall risks.
Seniors can improve stability and become more confident as they move through their daily lives, which helps them to age in place with less fear and worry.
What Causes Balance Issues for Seniors?
So many different factors can contribute to balance problems for seniors. A common problem is muscle weakness, particularly in the legs and core. This affects stability and can lead to a fall.
Arthritis and joint pain are other possible problems because they can affect posture and gait, again leading to a fall. Vision changes and neurological issues like neuropathy or Parkinson’s disease can also make a fall more likely.
Improving Balance and Stability
Once seniors identify that they have issues around stability and balance, physical therapy can help them to correct those issues. Seniors don’t have to just accept these changes as part of aging and leave it at that.
Physical therapists work with their patients to engage in strengthening exercises and balance training to help seniors regain what they’ve lost as much as possible. Over time, the exercises gradually become more challenging to keep up with progress.
Fall Recovery Techniques
Ideally, no one wants seniors to fall at all. But if they do fall, they need to know how fall correctly and how to recover from one. When seniors learn how to properly manage a fall, it’s not something that is as scary and big as it might be in their minds.
Reducing the fear helps seniors to hold onto their confidence, which can be a huge part of allowing them to stay safe when it comes to falls.
Preventing Falls at Home
Physical therapists can also offer seniors lots of advice for preventing falls at home. They help their patients learn what safety issues to watch for as well as how they can improve those issues. Removing tripping hazards, reducing clutter, and installing brighter lighting are some of the basic ways to prevent falls.
There might be more specific advice based on individual needs, and physical therapy providers can help patients with those details.
Continuing to Move
The key to helping seniors reduce fall risks and keep themselves safe is to help them to regain stability and strength. After physical therapists help their patients to regain what they’ve lost, seniors need a plan for continuing to move afterward.
They can build on what they learned through physical therapy, continuing to work toward a safer and more independent lifestyle as they age in place.
Physical therapy helps seniors find solutions to many of the problems they experience with physical challenges. Many of the issues that seniors experience are not as permanent as they might believe, and skilled physical therapists work with them to gradually help them to improve their strength and avoid a possible fall.
If you or someone you know needs Physical Therapy in Hutchinson, MN, contact Adara Home Health. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve. Call us at (888) 525-7742 for more information.