Thursday, November 7, 2013

Helping the Elderly to Avoid and Minimize the Effects of Falling

We all hope to live a long life, but as we age even the most fit among us must deal with decreasing flexibility, strength and coordination. These issues, along with a more sedentary lifestyle overall, are leading contributors to the very serious problem of falls among the elderly. According to the Center for Disease Control, falls account for 65% of all injuries among seniors. Furthermore, among those 65 or older, falls are the leading cause of injury or death.
Such a serious issue calls for solutions, and there are some areas in which seniors and their loved ones can improve their health, lifestyle and surroundings in ways that can help to minimize falls.
Fitness
There are a number of fitness options for seniors that can help with balance, strength and coordination. Balance training is an activity that was once used primarily for rehabilitation. Today, many seniors are using it in a proactive way to avoid injuries. Yoga classes are another great way to increase strength and flexibility. A sedentary lifestyle leads to less strength, coordination and endurance. Seniors who stay active have a better chance of carrying out everyday activities and living a full life.
Diet
Seniors who live a less active lifestyle are in danger of gaining weight. Weight gain, combined with loss of strength, coordination, and endurance; increase the odds of a catastrophic fall exponentially. It is important to eat right at any age, and is particularly important for seniors who need to keep constant watch on their strength and endurance. It is also very helpful for seniors to take their vitamins. As a person ages their body changes, which leads to the body not in taking the right amount of nutrients that it needs to keep healthy.
Environment
If a senior's home is cluttered with furniture and other obstacles, or contains steep stairways and/or inadequate lighting, it may be time to consider new living arrangements. Try a place with more room to move around. The more space a senior has, the more comfortable they are, and the less likely of a chance for an accident. It is necessary to keep an environment that is easy for the senior in your life to navigate.
Seniors are living longer today, and in many cases they are living better. Fitness, diet and other solutions are helping the elderly to keep their strength and balance longer. Should more seniors follow suit, the serious falls that have injured so many can be minimized in order to maximize what are rightfully referred to as the golden years.
Matrix Interactive LLC was one of the first in the medical alert systems industry to realize the importance of marketing such incredible technology. In doing this we established a more economical one-time fee alert monitoring product. We offer an emergency alert system at an affordable paying price, with no hidden fees, and no contracts. Our medical alert system is also very easy to setup with the choice of up to 8 different contacts to program. Please visit our website http://www.callforassistance.com, or give us a call at 610-410-7508 for more information.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8101729

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