Some days are life changing.
I was scheduled for my first hip replacement, and would have six sessions of physio after to help with my recovery. But I suffered from bone spurs on that hip–nasty little gremlins which jabbed me with hot pokers when I moved–and my doctor had sent me for a few sessions of physio before the surgery. My gait looked like a drunken penguin and my fall risk measured “off the charts.”
The physiotherapist assigned to me was the sweetest man who genuinely cared about my pain and quality of life. After he assessed me, he asked, “Have you ever considered using a cane?”
No, I hadn’t. Canes were for old people. No thanks.
As he watched me walk, he pleaded with me to try using one, just to cross the room. His gentle manner wooed me, and I acquiessed. As I made my way from one side to the other, I realized I walked easier and felt safer. After that session, I went over to my local drug store and bought a cane. A cool one. With butterflies on it.
When pursuing your best mobility with no falls, several factors need to be a part of your lifestyle.
Gait assessment
If there are any issues, a proper gait assessment from a qualified physiotherapist is important. They can suggest exercises to strengthen weak muscles and point you in the direction of any equipment which might be needed.
Assistive devices
When I got my cane, my friend strongly suggested I get a handicapped designation for parking. That stuck in my craw, but I eventually did, signing up for five years because surely by then I wouldn’t need it. Right. I just renewed it indefinitely. I don’t use it all the time, but it’s there if I need it. I used a walker after my surgeries until I was healed enough to go back to using the cane. Some people get to the place where they don’t need anything, and others use them for the rest of their lives. I probably fall into the latter category. But I learned to get beyond my pride because they helped me, and because a fall could change my life.
Passion for exercise
Nothing prevents falls better than strengthening your body through regular exercise. The habit of slowly building endurance, strengthening muscles and getting fit is something that needs to happen daily. I’ve noticed that fitness is an uphill climb, and a few days of slacking off brings significant negative changes. Exercise can be a fun activity, such as dance, water aerobics, gardening (can’t wait!) golf or walking and chatting with a friend. But consistency is the key.
Passion for health
In your twenties, you could eat anything, function with a few hours sleep, skip medical check-ups and still keep going without significant impact on your health. Those days are over. As elders, we need to give each area of our health priority. The plus side is, if you do this, it’s possible to improve both your health and your quality of life, and lower your risk for falls.
“Falling is not an inevitable result of aging.” –National Council on Aging