According to the National Council on Aging (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury amongst older adults. Falls don't only impact your health and safety — they can also impact your independence.
By learning how to prepare and recover from falls, you can remain safer at home. At-home fall prevention and recovery requires just a few adjustments to your house, lifestyle, and routine.
Below, you'll learn how to decrease your fall risk in your home. You'll also learn about the various strategies for fall recovery. Please note that this article is meant for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. As you devise a strategy for fall prevention and recovery, please work directly with your physical therapist to create a plan that's right for you.
How To Set Up a Fall Prevention Program at Home
To best prevent falls, you should consult your family members and your physical therapist. But, these strategies can help you get started.
How To Prepare Your Home
If you want to remain at home, you may need to make alterations. There are a few, simple house projects that can ensure your safety against falls:
Place traction mats in high-risk areas, such as around the bathtub, throughout your bathroom, and near the kitchen sink.
Install handrails around your stairs and grab bars in the bathroom.
Remove any rugs that cause uneven footing, and consider replacing hardwood floors with carpet.
Install night lights around your home, helping you to see in the early morning and at night.
How To Prepare Yourself
Developing and maintaining a regular exercise program can increase strength and balance while improving your overall quality of life. Various studies show that group exercise and at-home workouts can help decrease the risk of falls in ages 65 and older.
Here are a few tips for staying physically active (and staying safe):
Sign up for group fitness classes at your library, YMCA, YWCA, or religious center. Ask friends and family members if they know of exercise classes designed specifically for older people.
Work on developing strength exercises (like resistance and weight training) more than cardio exercises (like walking and swimming). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends doing strength and balance exercises three times per week to decrease the risk of fall injuries.
Strengthen your core to help improve your balance. Science shows that strengthening your core helps increase the stability of your entire body.
Follow along with yoga YouTube videos or attend a yoga class to improve your balance.
How To Prepare Your Support Network
Often, it's difficult to ask for help. However, asking your friends, family, and doctors for support is one of the most beneficial fall prevention tactics you can pursue.
Develop a plan now to help prevent falls later. Here are steps to take:
Download the Snug App on your phone. Assign an emergency contact to get an alert if you miss your daily check-in — this will signal your contact to come check on you.
Find an occupational therapist you trust. Explain that you have a fear of falling, and ask them to help you with fall-recovery training (i.e. how to stand up from a fall).
Work directly with your physician or skilled nursing staff to have an annual check-up. Keep a file of your medical conditions or other risk factors by the phone or front door. In the case of an emergency, you can direct EMTs to access your file.
Interview potential home health aids. Even if you feel as though help isn't necessary now, you may need an extra hand if you experience a fall. Remember, it is far easier to do the work and find someone you trust now, than it is to wait until you experience an injury.
Fall Recovery Training: How To Stand Up From a Fall (The Right Way)
Falls are unexpected and unfortunate. Even when you prepare yourself and your home, sometimes a fall will catch you off guard.
You can't prepare for every fall, but you can prepare for fall recovery. And recovery starts right after the fall occurs — with standing up from the fall itself.
Again, please review these steps and procedures with your physical therapist. We also share videos demonstrating these steps in the next section. The safe way to stand up from a fall includes the following steps:
Roll into a supine position (lay on your side with your knees bent).
Use the arm closest to the ground to push your upper body up and off the floor. Your arm should be in an extended position.
Place your opposite hand next to your extended arm. Using both hands, push and rotate your body to come onto all fours. Your palms and knees should be connected to the ground.
Push yourself into a kneeling position. If a chair or other sturdy surface is available, use it for support.
Swing one leg (preferably your stronger leg) forward so that your foot is flat on the ground. You should look like you're in a very low lunge position.
Push yourself up to a standing position. If you are near a piece of furniture or a wall, use it for support.
Fall Recovery Technique Videos to Try at Home
If you experience a fall, your doctor will schedule follow-up appointments with a physical therapist (if you don't have a physical therapist, ask your physician to recommend one). In physical therapy, licensed professionals will develop an individualized recovery plan that works best for you.
With that being said, you can still practice fall recovery at home on your own. Here are several videos that illustrate how to correctly stand up from a fall:
Fall Prevention Exercises: This video was created by the John Hopkins physical therapy department. Lora Durkin, a licensed physical therapist, helps you practice standing up from a seated position. She'll also walk you through various balance exercises to help with fall prevention.
Getting Up From a Fall: This video was created by the American Heart Association. It demonstrates how to use a steady surface, like a chair, to help you stand up from a fall correctly.
Tips for Seniors: Fall-Proofing Your Home and the "Right" Way to Fall in Order to Prevent Injury: Created by Kaiser Permanente, this video walks you through various fall prevention techniques for your home. In addition, it teaches you how to fall correctly (yes, there's a "right" way to fall!), to reduce your risk of serious injury.
Develop a Fall Recovery Plan Before Your Fall Occurs and Reduce Your Risk of Injury
Falls are the leading cause of injury amongst older adults. It is far easier to prevent falls when you're healthy, rather than waiting for an accident to occur.
To help reduce your risk of falls, keep up your strength and balance by maintaining a regular exercise routine. Simultaneously, fall-proof your home by installing grab rails, removing rugs, and keeping your home well lit.
Finally, your support network represents an important element of your fall prevention plan. Speak to your family, friends or neighbors about being your emergency contact. Download the Snug app on your phone, and tell your emergency contact about how the app works. Explain that they can opt to get daily alerts (letting them know you're safe and sound) or only get notified if you miss a check-in.
By maintaining an exercise routine, fall-proofing your home, and asking your network for support, you can greatly reduce your risk of falls.