As we celebrate the arrival of fall, make sure you also make room to mark the occasion of Falls Prevention Awareness Week, which runs from Sept. 23 – Sept. 27 this year. It’s the right time of year to reflect on your own stability, balance, and history of falling, to become aware of new research into the reasons and risks for falling, and to review your own situation: Are you doing all you can to ensure you stay upright and strong during your later years? 

As a reminder, older adults account for the greatest number of falls each year, and the risk of falling increases as you get older. While it’s not inevitable that you’ll experience a fall, the data show that 1 out of every 4 adults fall each year, and many falls lead to serious injury or even death. Between 2012 and 2021, the death rates from falls in older adults increased by 41%, and in 2021, over 38,000 older adults died due to falls. As an older person, what puts you at risk for a fall? We know fairly well that everything from leg strength to balance to impaired vision and hearing can all put you at risk, along with such factors as the medications you take, the shoes you wear, the tripping hazards and poor lighting in your home environment, and your use of alcohol and illicit drugs. Chronic diseases and even fear of falling can also raise your risk. And ongoing research continues to unearth additional factors. For example, a recent study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine reports that women who were less active during their middle ages are at increased risk of falling once they reach their 70s. This 18-year study found that compared to women who had high levels of physical activity, those women who exercised less than 100 minutes per week during middle age were at a 38% increased risk of falling. Another recent study published in BMC Geriatrics reports that older adults with multiple chronic conditions (diabetes, heart disease, depression, stroke, visual impairment, among others) were 1.3 times more likely to fall than those who did not have these conditions. And those of you who experience dizziness (which is not a normal part of aging and can be caused by medications, blood pressure problems, or even vertigo) face a dramatically elevated risk of falling, according to new research in Age and Aging.

So how do you lower your risk and prevent yourself from falling? First, you should know that this summer, the US Preventive Services Task Force issued final recommendations regarding the use of exercise as a way to lower the risk of falls among older adults. Physicians were urged to counsel their community-dwelling patients aged 65 and older to engage in regular exercise as an essential component of lowering the risk. While the Task Force was not able to determine exactly what type of exercise was best (whether tai chi, dance, strength training, etc) they did emphasize the importance of gait, balance, flexibility, endurance, and functional and resistance training, for lowering the risk of falling. Along the same lines of expert advice, The American Medical Association recently published a post entitled, “What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Preventing Falls.” Among the risk-lowering factors cited were? Reviewing medications and lowering dosages; improving your ability to move, along with focusing on improving your balance and lower body strength; paying attention to chronic pain, especially foot pain, and wearing appropriate footwear; and eliminating obstacles in your home that may put you at risk of tripping and falling. The American Geriatrics Society’s Health In Aging website also provides an array of advice and resources to help you discuss fall risks with your physician and to help keep you as informed and aware as possible. 

The National Council on Aging, one of the groups spearheading Fall Prevention Awareness Week, also has advice for considering fall detection devices and preparing yourself for slippery winter conditions to come. Finally, our friends at Yes2Next just released a new video this week demonstrating what they call the “Only Exercises You Need to Know to Prevent Falls (Ages 60+).” So put on your sturdy exercise sneakers, clear your space, and get ready to improve your balance and lower your risk of falling.