FALLS ARE LARGELY PREVENTABLE !

 Uncategorized  1 Response »
Mar 302012
 

So stated the American Geriatric Society in their 2006 (and again in their 2011 updated white paper) physician recommendations about falls in the senior population. These papers updated their ground-breaking 2001 report which was co-produced by the British Geriatric Society, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Since 2001, there has been a groundswell of evidence that links early falls risk assessments and intervention, with a decrease in mortality due to fall related injury. That said…many physicians are not yet aware of their positive role for intervening before a patient fall injury.

July 17, 2008.— Fall-related injuries in elderly people are reduced when primary care clinicians adopt effective risk assessments and strategies to prevent falls, according to the results of a nonrandomized study reported in the July 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. “Falling is a common and morbid condition among elderly persons,” writes Mary E. Tinetti, MD, from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues. “Effective strategies to prevent falls have been identified but are underutilized…. Reported barriers to incorporating evidence about fall prevention into practice include ignorance about falling as a preventable condition, competing time demands, a perceived lack of expertise, insufficient reimbursement, and inadequate referral patterns among clinicians.”

Even Medicare acknowledges that physicians should ask all Medicare aged patients about their falls history and concerns…and refer for screening or assessment as necessary. Entirely necessary since, in a few years, nearly 30% of our population will be 65 or older…and about 1/3rd of seniors fall one or more times per year!

In 2007, Medicare began asking physicians to be proactive in asking about falls…and again in 2011, when Medicare included falls screening requirements in the Annual Wellness Visit criteria. How do we get physicians to look seriously at their role in preventing falls?

If you or a family member has concerns about falling or instability…let your doctor know about it…and tell them you want a falls risk assessment. If they are hesitant, refer them to Fall Prevention Clinics of America, and we’ll provide resource information to assist your physician. The more they know…the better they can work with you.

Mike

http://www.FallPreventionClinics.com

 Posted by at 9:06 pm

AS THE WORLD TURNS:Vertigo

 Uncategorized  Comments Off
Mar 192012
 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 20% of all adults experience vertigo at least once in their lives, and about 12% experience more frequent episodes. As a quick point of reference: Vertigo is most commonly described as either…the ROOM is spinning…or YOU are spinning. Anyone who has had too much alcohol to drink knows that feeling of helpless motion tinged with panic.

Each inner ear has 3 semi-circular canals. Inside each canal is a line of sensors that act a little like a carpenter’s level. When each level has the bubble centered, all is right with world…and our brain recognizes that we are upright and stable. If we bend, or roll or turn…one or more of the “bubbles” moves along the sensors, indicating a sense of speed, and direction, and our position relative to the ground. The brain receives the inner ear information and compares it with information from the eyes, as a way of double checking. If both the inner ear and eyes information agree…then the brain is happy and we are in control. If, however, the eyes and the inner ear disagree…our brain is left to wonder what is happening…and we may experience vertigo, nausea, a sudden panic attack or all three.

Vertigo is most often a result of the false information…our brain thinking we are moving even when we are not. Motion sickness is most often a scenario where the eyes are telling the brain that there is movement…even though the inner ear says there is no movement. This is a common event for some video gamers…the body is seated but the eyes are busy shooting and jumping at aliens that are trying to destroy us!!

Inner ear vertigo (positional vertigo) is when the sensors are detecting motion by the “bubble”…even though the bubble may not be moving at all. This is most often a result of calcium carbonate particles that are free floating within the inner ear…tricking the sensors into believing that the “bubble” is moving.

Regardless of the why … vertigo can be anything from annoying to debilitating. While many doctors prescribe medications to alleviate the symptoms…studies show that frequent or persistent vertigo should be assessed more thoroughly. In those cases, the cause of the problem can often by relieved in 1 or 2 visits to M.D. specialists like those at Fall Prevention clinics of America.

Mike

http://www.FallPreventionClinics.com

 Posted by at 3:48 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

When Should You Worry About Falls?

 Uncategorized  Comments Off
Mar 092012
 

First, let’s simply say that a fall is any UNPLANNED, downward motion that you are not in control of. Second, it’s a given that all people will slip, trip, stumble or fall…regardless of age. The difference between people is how they react to the incident.

An active body that encounters a trip will be more likely to move in such a way as to prevent the trip from becoming a fall. An inactive body is more likely NOT to keep the fall, and subsequent injury, from happening.

We used to think only OLD people fall. In years past, an old person was one with white or gray hair. Then along came celebrities like Phil Donahue, James Brolin, Lady Gaga, Pink, George Clooney, John Slattery, Sharon Stone, and others who remind us that gray or white is just a color…NOT a ticket to the nearest nursing home! Now, medical studies show us that falling is our body’s way of telling us that something is wrong…like a fever tells us that we may have a cold, flu or other infection.

We know that someone who experiences episodes of dizziness, or routinely takes more than 4 daily medications, or has had 1 or more falls within the prior 12 months is at a high risk for a fall injury. We also know that about 75% of folks over age 70 experience decline in the parts of the body that provide input to the brain’s balance function…which creates falls injury situations.

So…When Should You Worry About Falls?….Before It Happens!!!!
If you are concerned, then you should say something to your significant other, your son or daughter, your doctor and get a FALL RISK ASSESSMENT as soon as possible. If you are the friend, son or daughter, or significant other…and you have noticed that Mom or Dad has had some unsteady moments…tell them you are concerned.

Falls injury is the number 1 cause of injury for people over age 65. Over 30% of older fallers sustain a traumatic brain injury. Falls are the 5th leading cause of death among older adults. In today’s society, there is no reason why we should lose a loved one to a fall related injury. With a simple assessment process, a diagnosis and treatment plan can give a whole new life to people of any age, who have trouble with dizziness or balance issues.

Mike

http://www.fallpreventionclinics.com

 Posted by at 11:00 pm  Tagged with: , ,

If the Shoe Fits

 Uncategorized  Comments Off
Mar 072012
 

Remember the old saying, “If the shoe fits…wear it!” It was originally a saying that was aimed at someone who fit a profile but refused to recognize it. Like… “I missed the last three appointments with my Tai Chi trainer, and they told me I’m not motivated!” The response could be, “If the shoe fits…!”
Many times in our practice, we see people who wear athletic styled shoes…cross-trainers, tennis shoes, gym shoes, etc. Sometimes we also see folks who wear the shoes with very thick “comfort” soles. Keep in mind, these folks see us because of balance issues…so one of our questions is commonly…”When was the last time you felt like you needed to start or stop quickly?”
Shoes…like so many other things…are hyped to the consumer with a backdrop of health, vigor, and athletic prowess that invites misconception. Unfortunately, balance issues…especially with older adults…can be made worse with this kind of shoe. When our balance capability becomes compromised, often due to lower body weakness, and poor inner ear/brain/muscle coordination…our reaction times require footwear that is more forgiving than the grip of an athletic shoe. The image is one where a senior’s feet stop on a dime, but the rest of their body keeps going…all the way to the ground.
The problem has been well recognized by researchers…and was accepted by Medicare as a problem that physicians could identify. In January, 2011 Medicare recommended to all physicians that they counsel patients on footwear…examine patient’s feet and their need for podiatry…and refer for Fall Risk Assessments when the patient exhibits or expresses their fall risks.
Bottom line…shoes should be comfortable, flat and have thin enough soles to allow the wearer to FEEL the floor/ground surface. The feet need to have their sense of touch so the wearer knows whether the surface is hard and flat, cushy, rocky, squishy like sand, uneven like a lawn, etc. The information is transmitted to the eyes and brain so the person can adjust the way they walk to the conditions.
Without the information from our feet, we are operating with less information and setting ourselves up for a fall. So…the lesson for today is: Just because the shoe fits…doesn’t mean you should wear it!
Mike

http://www.FallPreventionClinics.com

 Posted by at 2:44 pm  Tagged with: , , ,
© 2012 fallpreventionclinicsblog.chicagolandwebsitedesign.net Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha