At Health Motivation Center, we do not believe that falls and loss of independence are "a normal part of growing older." We recognize the fear of losing one's freedom and needing to depend upon others for help is a major fear of the older adult. We empathize with the many caregivers who are taking care of an older parent or loved one, and are troubled by their loved ones' loss of mobility. We recognize that falls are multi-factoral, and that many of those factors can be reduced with appropriate treatment and education. We take pride in individualized treatment, given with love and respect. Our goal is to help our older patients realize the promise of the "Golden Years" with vigor, strength, and pride in their abilities.

Factors Which Contribute To Falls In The Older Adult
As one grows older, many factors combine to contribute to a loss of functional mobility, ability to safely walk, and eventually, loss of mobility and the tendency to fall. Many of these factors can be minimized or reduced, leading to improved confidence, independence, and safety within the home and community. HMC's Balance Retraining/Fall Reduction Program offers the guide below to help you recognize some of these risk factors, and help you understand that Physical and Occupational Therapy can play a large role in keeping you active, healthy and strong.

FACTOR: Diminished Strength: As we age, our bodies undergo age-related loss of muscle mass, strength of muscle, decreased endurance of prolonged activity.
SOLUTION: HMC's program can help strengthen weakened muscles. We have a wide variety of exercise equipment and specialized treatment regimens which can help reduce some of these changes and improve strength, regardless of age. Many studies have shown that even people as old as their 90's can obtain improved strength with resistance exercise.

FACTOR: Diminished Flexibility Or Range Of Motion: Aging leads to tighter muscles and joints. Arthritis and other diseases can contribute to this. These changes can lead to greater difficulty with keeping your balance. For example, if ankle motion or hip motion is limited, it can be difficult to use proper strategies to prevent falls.
SOLUTION: The Balance Retraining/Fall Reduction Program assesses range of motion deficits, and can teach you or your family proper stretching exercises to regain lost motion.

FACTOR: Loss Of Sensation In Extremities: Each year, we lose a little more ability to sense our position (the technical word for this is proprioception.) People with diabetes sometimes develop a condition known as neuropathy, which can lead to total loss of sensation in the feet.
SOLUTION: Therapy can teach compensatory strategies to reduce the risk of falls. If this is not helpful, we can determine which assistive device would be of best help to you, and train you in how to use it. We also will assess your shoes, and determine whether different shoes may be helpful.

FACTOR: "Unsteadiness": Many older people tell us they "just feel unsteady." This leads to a fear of falling which may be more immobilizing than any physical problem.
SOLUTION: Special exercises can be taught to improve postural stability and upright control. A cane, walker or other device may be prescribed to add stability. Environmental changes around the house (grab bars, handles, etc.) may be helpful to prevent falls.

FACTOR: Age-Related Loss of Visual Acuity And Contrast: Older adults tend to have poor eyesight, and even if eyesight is good, often loss of contrast sensitivity is present, which leads to diminished ability to see steps or changes in elevation.
SOLUTION: Occupational Therapy will come to your home to assess whether environmental changes can be made to reduce your risk of falls. Stronger lighting, and the use of night-lights, can increase your safety around the house. Handrails an stairs and color-contrast tape at the edge of the stair can help with contrast deficits.

FACTOR: Multiple Medications: Older people take more drugs and medications, which sometimes interact and can contribute to increasing the risk of falls.
SOLUTION: Your Therapy evaluation will include an assessment of your current medications, to check whether there are any conflicting medications which may be adding to your fall risk. If necessary, we can contact your doctor and make him aware of this, if he/she is not already aware.

FACTOR: Foot Problems: Ill-fitting shoes, calluses, bunions, and other foot conditions can lead to an inability to properly maintain your balance, or an inability to correct your balance once lost.
SOLUTION: We work closely with several podiatrists who can help you to correct your foot problems, if this is an issue.

Many factors contribute to falls and loss of walking mobility. Parkinson's Disease, Osteoporosis, Arthritis, and many other medical conditions also increase the risk of falls. Each patient at Health Motivation Center receives a comprehensive, detailed evaluation of their mobility status designed to focus in on their unique problems and risk factors. An individualized program is then established to treat these problem areas.

Several patients who have been through this program rave about their newfound vigor, strength, and independence. If you or your loved one is starting to "slow down," experiencing falls or loss of balance, we would be happy to help. Even if you just need someone to talk to about your fear of falling, or about watching a loved one who is struggling, we would love to hear from you.