September is Falls Prevention Month, a time to highlight ways to avoid tumbles and the harm they can bring. Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and even death in Wisconsin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Wisconsin had the highest fall death rate among older adults in the United States in 2021.
Fortunately, many falls can be prevented. Across the state, fall prevention classes provide skills and strategies to keep you safe both at home and out in the community. People who are blind or have low vision are at a higher risk of falling, since they may have difficulty seeing stairs, curb drop-offs and other obstacles that can contribute to a fall. That’s why we encourage older adults who are blind or low vision to attend a fall reduction course to learn techniques for staying on their feet.
“As we age, our vision changes, and that creates a lot of new risks,” says Ashley Hillman, Falls Prevention Program Manager with Safe Communities. “One example is depth perception. When you’re going for a walk and approaching a curb, being able to see where your body is in relation to the space around you is so important to being able to get over that curb without falling.”
Another common change in vision relating to aging is reduced contrast sensitivity. This means it’s harder to recognize objects that do not stand out from their background. When you enter a building and the carpet is the same color as the chairs, it’s easy to bump into or trip over the chair. That’s not being clumsy. It’s a contrast problem.
Even if you are not injured from a fall, it can still shake your confidence in your own ability to move safely and can lead to decreased activity. Less activity can actually increase your risk of falling and their severity, as your muscles can become weaker and your balance diminished.
Across Wisconsin, organizations are holding fall prevention classes to teach everyone what they can do to reduce the risk of falling. One such class is Stepping On from the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging (WIHA). Stepping On is a seven-week evidence-based program in which trained facilitators present a new topic each session. Stepping On brings in a variety of speakers, including podiatrists who talk about proper footwear; police officers who discuss safety concerns when walking in your neighborhood; and members of the Council’s Vision Services team who cover the role vision plays in fall risks. Stepping On classes have been shown to decrease falls by 31%. For participants, that means fewer hospital visits and deaths and greater confidence in their ability to get around safely.
Earlier this spring, Virginia Kaufman took a Stepping On course at the Waunakee Senior Center. While fully sighted herself, she says the classes reinforced ideas she already knew but wasn’t actively putting into practice. “There were a lot of little things that I knew intuitively, but wasn’t consciously thinking about,” Virginia says. “Actively thinking about things like the shoes I’m wearing and having loose rugs was really helpful.”
While this is no substitute for a comprehensive fall prevention class, here is a list tips and skills that can help keep you upright:
- Good lighting is important for seeing any trip hazards in your path or changes in the flooring or pavement. Make sure you change burned-out lightbulbs immediately and that the lights are bright enough for you to see clearly what’s in front of you. Put nightlights in your hallways, bedrooms and bathrooms in case you need to move around at night. Make sure there are ample lights in your stairways, and always turn on the lights when going up or down the stairs.
- Too much light can cause you to miss things too. When you’re outside, wear sunglasses and a hat to reduce glare and protect your eyes from the sun.
- Living in Wisconsin means every year we experience wintery weather conditions that make sidewalks and stairs slippery. It’s important to clear any snow and ice as quickly as possible. When you’re going to the grocery store or out around town where you can’t control how much ice is on the pavement, consider putting YakTrax or other traction enhancers on your shoes to help keep you from slipping.
- Building up your physical strength and balance can help you avoid falling. Having strong, healthy muscles in your legs and hips will make you less susceptible. You don’t need to hit the gym to build these muscles; there are plenty of home exercises that can help you maintain your strength. The National Institute on Aging outlined a few types of exercise to help you stay active on their website at NIH.gov/Health/Exercise-And-Physical-Activity/Four-Types-Exercise-Can-Improve-Your-Health-And-Physical.
- Another easy thing you can do to prevent indoor falls is to remove anything you might trip over. Items on the floor like clothes and other clutter cause you to trip and fall, as can throw rugs and mats. Make sure to clean up any trip hazards right away, and only use non-slip mats in your bathroom.
Attending a Stepping On or other falls prevention class can not only help you build strength and avoid falling, but can give you the confidence you need to stay active.
“Falls are a major issue for people my age, and I’ve seen how my friends’ lives were negatively impacted by their falls,” Virginia says. “Having the Stepping On classes teach us what we can do to prevent these falls is important whether you’ve had a fall or not. It was so helpful to me.”
You can find a nearby Stepping On class at WIHealthyAging.org/Programs/Falls-Prevention-Programs/Stepping-On/.
