6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 1/5

DeadlyFallsinOlderAmericansAreRising.Here̓ sHowtoPreventThem.Therateofdeathsafterfallsisrisingforpeopleover75,anewstudyshows.Butfallsareavoidableformostseniors.Wehavesometips.

ByKatieHafner

June4,2019

Asthepopulationages,thenumberofolderAmericanswhodiefollowingafallisrising.AstudypublishedTuesdayinthemedicaljournalJAMAfoundthatforpeopleover75,therateofmortalityfromfallsmorethandoubledfrom2000to2016.

Researchersanalyzedinformationobtainedfromdeathcertificatesmaintainedbythefederalgovernment’sNationalCenterforHealthStatistics.In2016,therateofdeathfromfallsforpeople75andolderwas111per100,000people,theyfound.In2000,thatratewas52per100,000people.

ElizabethBurns,ahealthscientistattheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,whowasanauthorofthestudy,saidthereasonfortheincreasewasunclear.

“Themostlikelyreasonisthatpeoplearelivinglongerwithconditionsthatinthepasttheymighthavediedfrom,”shesaid.Inaddition,shecontinued,olderadultsareonmedicationsthatincreasetheirriskoffalling.Womenareslightlymorelikelytofallthanmen,butmenareslightlymorelikelytodieasaresultofafall.

[Readourstoriesonfallsandtheagingpopulation.]

“Thetake-homemessageisthatfallskill,”saidDr.LewisLipsitz,aprofessorofmedicineatHarvardMedicalSchoolanddirectoroftheMarcusInstituteforAgingResearchatHebrewSeniorLife,ahousing,researchandhealthcareorganizationintheBostonarea.Hewasnotinvolvedinthestudy.

Althoughthetrendisdisturbing,fallsneedn’tbeaninevitablepartofaging,andtheyarepreventable.

Thisisyourlastarticle.Createanaccountorlogintogetmore

6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 2/5

“Thebiggestriskfactorforfallsthatcan’tbechangedisyourage,”saidDr.ElizabethEckstrom,ageriatricianatOregonHealth&ScienceUniversity.“Mostoftheotherriskscanbemitigated.”

Herearesomemeasuresyoucantaketohelppreventafall.

Exercise!Dr.Lipsitzemphasizedtheimportanceofincorporatingexerciseintoadailyroutine.Hesuggestedatleast20minutesaday,combiningaerobicandanaerobicexercise.Weightlifting,particularlyforstrengtheningthelegs,isagoodidea,hesaid.

Taichi,theChinesemartialart,appearstobeaneffectivewaytoimprovebalance.Itinvolvesveryslow,purposefulmovementsincoordinationwithbreathingandmuscleactivity.

Astudypublishedlastyearfoundthatamongadultsover70whopracticedtaichitwiceaweekforanhour,theincidenceoffallswasreducedby58percent.Dr.Eckstrom,oneofthestudy’sauthors,saidtheparticipantsinthestudydidtaichitwiceaweekforanhouroverasix-monthperiod.

“Whenyoufall,yourbodyhasnotfiguredouthowtostayposturallystable,andtaichihelpswiththat,”Dr.Eckstromsaid.“Withalotoftheclassictaichimoves,youmakeafairlylargestepout,ortotheside.Oryouleanforward,withyourtrunk.You’reputtingyourselfinapositionofalmostfalling.”Allofthis,sheadded,trainsthebodytoremainstablewhenputinanoff-kilterposition.

TheCDCmaintainsacompendiumofrecommendedexercisesthatincludestaichi.

6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 3/5

MindyourmedsMedications,especiallythosethathelpwithsleep,cancompromisebalance.Dr.EckstromsaidbenzodiazepinessuchasValiumandXanaxareespeciallybad.

“Metabolismslowsinolderadults,sotoxicitytobenzosbuildsup,whichcancausedizziness,”shesaid.

Thesamegoesfornon-benzodiazepinessuchasAmbien.SedatingantihistaminessuchasBenadrylandAdvilPMarealsobadforbalance.

“Ifeverybodygotoffthesleepingpills,itwouldhelpalot,”Dr.Eckstromsaid.Asanalternative,sherecommendedmelatonintoherpatients,whichshecalledasafeandeffectivesleepaid.

Re-accessorizeEyesightisacrucialcomponentwhenitcomestofalls.Avoidbifocalorprogressivelenseswhenwalkingoutside.“Ifyou’rewearingbifocalsandsteppingdownoffacurb,thatchangesyourdepthperception,”saidMs.Burns,whorecommendsasingle-focuslensforwalkingoutside.

Ifadoctorprescribesawalker,useit.“Itwillallowyoutobemoreindependentforlonger,”Dr.ElizabethEckstrom,ageriatrician,said. RaminRahimianforTheNewYorkTimes

6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 4/5

Thenthere’sfootwear.Fashion,saidDr.Lipsitz,needstotakeabackseattofunction.“Nohighheels,”hesaid.Dr.Eckstromagreed.

Anythingthefootslidesintoisaterribleidea,shesaid:“Avoidcuteslide-insandals.”

Allshoesshouldhaveaback,andasolewithgoodtread.Slippers,too,canbebad.“Slippersmakeyouslip,”saidDr.Eckstrom.

Areyoutooproudtouseacaneorwalker?Getoverit.“Ifyourdoctorhasrecommendedawalker,useit,”Dr.Eckstromsaid.“Itwillallowyoutobemoreindependentforlonger.”

EliminatetrippinghazardsTheaccumulatedclutterofalifetimecanbelethal.Getridofsmallscatterrugsinyourhome,andeliminateextensioncordsthatstretchacrossafloor.

Petscanalsobeahazard.“It’ssoeasytotripoveryourpet,”saidDr.Eckstrom.

Takeacloserlookattheheightofthresholdsbetweenrooms;ittakesjustafractionofaninchtocauseatrip.Keepalightonatnightforvisualaccesstothebathroom.

EarlyandoftentothebathroomHydrationisagoodwaytofightdizziness.Drinkplentyofwaterthroughouttheday,saidDorothyBaker,aseniorresearchscientistingeriatricsattheYaleSchoolofMedicine.

“Don’twaituntilyou’redesperatetogotothebathroomandneedtorush,”Dr.Bakersaid.There’sabonustofrequentbathroomtrips,sheadded.“Doingthatsit-to-standisreallygoodexerciseandgoodforbalance.Doafewextraswhileyou’rethere.”

6/24/2019 Deadly Falls in Older Americans Are Rising. Here’s How to Prevent Them. - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html 5/5

AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonJune5,2019,onPageA16oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:RateofDeathFromaFallIsIncreasingRapidlyforAmericansOver75

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Astudyfoundthatforadultsover70whopracticedtaichitwiceaweekforanhour,theincidenceoffallswasreducedby58percent. HilarySwiftforTheNewYorkTimes