Older adults often develop a fear of falling. For some, it is because they’ve already experienced a serious fall. For others, it is because someone they know has. It’s not an unfounded fear for seniors to have. Falls remain the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults.

According to the National Council on Aging, one in four adults over the age of 65 will experience a fall each year. That translates to a senior being treated in an emergency room for fall-related injuries every 11 seconds. 

A senior might think they can reduce their risk of falling by decreasing how active they are. They may stick close to home and to their favorite chair or preferred spot on the sofa. But in truth, a sedentary lifestyle has the opposite effect. It causes the senior’s muscles to weaken, making it more difficult to maintain balance. This makes the senior’s risk for falls much higher.

One habit older adults can adopt that may help them avoid frailty and falls is walking. Research seems to indicate it can help seniors improve strength and balance.

Walk Your Way to Better Strength and Balance

The results of a research project titled “The Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults” were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January 2014. This project looked at the potential link between stretching and walking and the rate of falls and disability. The project lasted two years and included over 1,600 participants between the ages of 70 and 89.

• While participants were older adults considered to be sedentary, each one was still able to walk one quarter of a mile independently.
• Once enrolled, every participant attended monthly healthy aging education classes at the research center.
• A subgroup of randomly chosen participants also met twice a week for stretching exercises and walking. Subgroup members also completed three hours of exercise at home each week.

While no definitive conclusion was reached, the results were promising. At the end of the trial, subgroup participants were 18 percent less likely to have suffered any short-term physical disability and 28 percent less likely to have experienced a permanent disability.

How to Start Walking for Fitness

If you or a senior in your life want to try walking to lower your risk for falls, the first step should be to schedule an appointment with your family doctor. Getting their approval to begin this or any other type of exercise is important, especially if you’ve been sedentary.

Then, select a walking program that seems like a good fit for your lifestyle. Here are a few to explore:

• 12-Week Walking Program: Created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, this walking program helps you ease into fitness. It has milestones to target for warm up, walking, and cool down that increase each week for 12 weeks.
• Six-Week Beginner Walking Program: This program begins with 5 to 10 minutes of walking each day and builds up to 30 minutes over six weeks. It was created by the American Heart Association.
• Go4Life: Another option is the Go4Life program developed by the National Institute on Aging at NIH. It incorporates walking with other exercises designed to improve endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. They have a variety of tools and resources on their website you can download at no cost.

At Sunrise Senior Living communities, we understand the importance of staying active at every age. That’s why we created our Live With Action activities program. Watch this quick video to see how it can help residents stay physically active every day!

Source: Sunrise Senior Living

Plus expert tips on how to manage each of them.
Source: Healthy Living Huffington Post

Sometimes, people with dementia can become upset. This can take many forms, such as pacing or asking repeated questions. In these situations, caregivers can have a hard time understanding what might be contributing to the behavior and knowing how to react in a way that preserves the person’s dignity.

It’s important to remember, though, that when a senior with dementia becomes upset, it isn’t because they are trying to be difficult. In fact, it is usually a sign that they are struggling with an unmet need that  they aren’t able to communicate to a caregiver or loved one. This is called a “behavioral expression” and more accurately describes what a person with memory loss experiences.

“Behavioral expressions are simply a person’s expression of an unmet need or desire,” says Rita Altman, Senior Vice President of Memory Care & Program Services at Sunrise Senior Living. “Don’t we all get a little frustrated when we don’t feel understood?”

Diminished verbal skills make it tough for a senior with dementia to express what they need. As a friend or family member, investigating potential reasons for their behavior is usually the best approach.

Common Triggers That Can Upset Seniors with Dementia

By taking time to explore and consider each of these triggers, you will likely uncover the deeper reason that your senior loved one is upset.

Here are a few of the most common ones:

• An environment that is overwhelming their senses, often because it is too loud or too crowded
• Being surrounded by too many unfamiliar faces, including having too many caregivers at a time
• A change in environment (e.g., going to visit a place they haven’t been before or making changes to their assisted living apartment or suite)
• Being hungry or thirsty or in need of a bathroom
• Having someone approach too quickly or from the side where their peripheral vision might be impaired
• Being confused about their location and how they got there (even in a once familiar environment)
• Having someone talk too loudly or forcefully to them
• When personal space is invaded, whether it is by a friend or family member or a stranger when you are out in a public place
• Misunderstanding directions or questions from a loved one or a conversation that is occurring nearby
• Being startled by a loud noise or by loud voices
• When the environment is too hot or too cold to get comfortable
• Feeling demeaned or disrespected by friends, family, or caregivers
• Low self-esteem caused by an inability to communicate and care for themselves
• Side effects from, interaction with, or adverse reaction to medications

As you are trying to pinpoint what might be causing your senior loved one's negative reactions, it might help to keep a journal. Document the events that happened prior to them becoming upset, along with any changes in the environment or daily routine.

Once you get to know your loved one’s triggers, you can create a personalized plan to avoid those situations.  And, you can better manage your loved one’s emotions when they arise.

“You should discover ways to help fulfill your loved one’s desire to feel safe, secure and heard,” says Altman. “That may involve using open-ended questions, creating structured daily routines, and using a calm voice. They key is verbal and nonverbal communication – always meeting them where they are.”

Listen to The Senior Caregiver Podcast

Looking for more information on behavioral expressions and how to connect with your loved one? We invite you to listen to The Senior Caregiver podcast. This podcast can help you learn more about the many nuances of Alzheimer’s disease and how to navigate the journey with your loved one.

Source: Sunrise Senior Living

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