Falling down at an old age - lost a friend recently

Here's an option for falls, but would you wear it, there may be others available? All day every day? Wearable Anti-fall Airbag Vest to protect elderly from hip fracture.

Where we live there are probably 4 Urgent Care's within a couple blocks. Our preferred hospital also has a Step In clinic where you can see a doctor quickly but they're only open during business hours.
Another thought is when you go to an Emergency Dept is to call an ambulance. It seems patients are admitted quicker when they arrive in an ambulance.

About 10 years ago while taking our granddaughter to the zoo I turned around and took a step. There was a rock about 2 foot in diameter and a foot tall on the sidewalk. It was a "feature". I fell face forward and face planted. My Rx sunglasses with bifocals protected my face from severe scratches. Tried catching myself with my arms but it happened too quickly. Sunglasses were ruined and I was scratched up on my arms and face but was lucky. So in my case it was the bifocals that prevented me from seeing the rock.
Me too. Never knew this existed. IF they could lower the price. I think many folks would buy one.
Or children of elderly parents would buy one or two.
 
Thanks for all the condolences. Our friend was part of a group that meets regularly and he's the second in 3 years to leave us. Some of us have been close friends for 30+ years and it's hard to see what age does to people, even as active as we are as a group. But, that's life.
I went through a period of time where 8 friends died between the ages of 59-71 mostly from cancer and my 4 dogs died. It was a horrible depressing experience. Since moving into my condo building I have become good friends with 6 women and 4 of them are 10 years older than me.
 
I went through a period of time where 8 friends died between the ages of 59-71 mostly from cancer and my 4 dogs died. It was a horrible depressing experience. Since moving into my condo building I have become good friends with 6 women and 4 of them are 10 years older than me.
We have always gravitated toward older friends. I'm not sure why. It's sort of a recipe for heart ache as we lose friends. Of course, as we're aging, that will take care of itself as WE will be the old people!
 
My wife and I volunteer at the town’s ancient monument (900 year old Priory), she in the gardens and myself as a custodian. One of the gardeners is a really nice, popular guy we often bump into and chat with around town, and he is probably late 50s, early 60s, and pretty fit from the look of him. He tragically lost his wife about 10 years ago and lives on his own. My wife went down this morning to do some gardening (they work Monday and Thursday mornings) and heard some distressing news about him. His daughters had been trying to contact him by phone and when they got no answer they went to his house and still couldn’t get an answer so they broke in and found him at the bottom of the stairs. They called an ambulance and he is currently in intensive care with a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain.

As far as anyone knows he has no recent medical history that would make him susceptible to a fall.

Sh!t happens as they say and accidents can happen to any of us. 18 months or so back one of my fellow Priory custodians was out walking as he does every day and a branch from a tree fell onto him knocking him unconscious. Blue lighted to the ER and kept in for a week or 2 as his brain swelled enough to require 2 holes be made to release the pressure. Fortunately he made a full recovery but it took a few months (he is in his early 70s). When he was telling my wife and I the details of what happened he took off his hat to show us the scars from the 2 places they drilled holes and I said, “I think the standard treatment for water on the brain is a tap on the head”. When he looked blankly at me I had to explain that I’d forgotten that he was American so “a faucet on the head” did not make sense,
 
^^ 2 nasty stories Alan.

MIL fell again yesterday. She lives alone at 95 and has recovered from all of her falls - about 5 that we know of. 2 most recent - she fell getting out of bed in the morning and cut her arm on the baseboard heat register. Then yesterday taking a nap in her chair. Got up and fell and hurt her ankle. She barely missed her coffee table during the fall. I'm going to either get rid of the coffee table or rearrange furniture so her table is to the side of her chair so she won't hit it when she falls. I think a nursing home is in her near future.

And I went out to take down a dead tree a couple of days ago and slipped and fell on an ice/ snow slope without injury. Going to get some winter boots with some traction. But I've noticed a balance issue within the past few years. When I was younger, I didn't understand why a lot of elderly people fall. Now I'm starting to understand.
 
And I went out to take down a dead tree a couple of days ago and slipped and fell on an ice/ snow slope without injury. Going to get some winter boots with some traction. But I've noticed a balance issue within the past few years. When I was younger, I didn't understand why a lot of elderly people fall. Now I'm starting to understand.

Pleased to hear that you didn't hurt yourself. In recent years we had some landscaping done on the front garden and took the opportunity to put in some nice broad steps as our front is very steep and the driveway gets very tricky to negotiate in the ice and snow. I was out this morning putting rock salt on those steps again as we are in the middle of a cold snap.
 
Sad stories and we all know what is in store for us. It just seems to happen to all aging people.
I'm on the call list for my neighbor with a First Alert system that the fallen person can activate the system for help. We have had to help a couple of times now. It is scary thing just going into one's house especially at night.
 
Falls are something we dread because we also know plenty of elderly folks where a fall marks the beginning of the end. Even fit older folks fall. Last year (2024) my wife and I went on an island hopping cruise around the British Isles landing by zodiac boat on remote islands and going on hikes sometimes in very wet weather. I slipped on wet rocks while hiking on the Isle of Skype but luckily was able to get my forearms out to avoid a face plant so just ended up with bruised arms. My wife was not so lucky, slipping while we walked down a hillside on the isle of Hirta her right foot was pinned beneath her and she thought it might be broken.

But what does one do? At age 69/70 we exercise 2 or 3 times a week to keep up our muscle strength and balance but we will continue to walk and hike because we like being outdoors.
Hi Alan,

In his book "Outlive..." Dr. Attia identifies eccentric actions as being risky for older folks and more likely to lead to falls. So, going downstairs or stepping off a curb are actions where we are more likely to injure ourselves. To mitigate this particular risk he recommends Step-Ups also know as Box Step exercises (not to be confused with box jumps). Specifically, he recommends focusing on lowering yourself down slowly. For example, step up in one second, but step down in three seconds. I know he has a video out there on this exercise, but I could not find it again. However, I think any video on the subject is probably fine as long as it doesn't show some ultra fit 20 something jumping onto a 3' high box!

Something else for you and your wife to consider would be to start using walking sticks. I don't know if they would've helped in the slippery conditions you describe, but I think they're worth considering.
 
I always use hiking poles if hiking on a trail or bushwhacking. Since my 30s I’ve had trouble with my knees on descents. Now they are great for staying upright on the trail! Or a little more power on the ascent.
 
Although my eyesight following cataract surgery is not quite good enough for driving - progressive lenses for that - I've stopped wearing my glasses for our daily long walks. There's good evidence that bifocals and progressives increase the chance of falls in the elderly.
 
Although my eyesight following cataract surgery is not quite good enough for driving - progressive lenses for that - I've stopped wearing my glasses for our daily long walks. There's good evidence that bifocals and progressives increase the chance of falls in the elderly.
My experience is that I’m more likely to knock stuff over or knock against stuff wearing my bifocals. You have poor peripheral vision especially looking down.
 
Hi Alan,

In his book "Outlive..." Dr. Attia identifies eccentric actions as being risky for older folks and more likely to lead to falls. So, going downstairs or stepping off a curb are actions where we are more likely to injure ourselves. To mitigate this particular risk he recommends Step-Ups also know as Box Step exercises (not to be confused with box jumps). Specifically, he recommends focusing on lowering yourself down slowly. For example, step up in one second, but step down in three seconds. I know he has a video out there on this exercise, but I could not find it again. However, I think any video on the subject is probably fine as long as it doesn't show some ultra fit 20 something jumping onto a 3' high box!

Something else for you and your wife to consider would be to start using walking sticks. I don't know if they would've helped in the slippery conditions you describe, but I think they're worth considering.
Thanks for the references.

We do indeed use our hiking poles when walking around town in icy weather these days - as do our 80+ year old friends who also fear falling but are determined to keep up the walking outside even in cold weather.
 
FIL died of sepsis. He had appendicitis but the doctors assumed he had his appendix removed much earlier. He was 91.

A friend had a minor break but died of sepsis in the hospital at age 52.

Another friend had a hip replacement but developed sepsis. Fortunately they caught it in time and treated him successfully. He is 62.

I practice how to fall. I watch tennis players fall.
 
Typically people try to break their their fall in some manner, usuallly with their arms. Usually ending up with broken or badly sprained bits.
Often it is attempting not to mess up their clothes, or just instinct. It is not a good technique.
If falling, it is best to to turn as much as possible to expose fleshy parts of body and present as much surface area as possible to land on. And do tuck the chin in tightly. Learned that in Jump school, as part of PLFs (Parachute Landing Fall) for those never 'been in Airborne trianing. We spent a week learning and practicing falling techniques...
I relatively often fall on ice while figure skating, usually as result of to much speed for the maneuvre. Or trying something fancy, sometimes just get blindsided by some 2 foot tall kid (including skates) moving fast on hockey skates and looking anywhere but where they are heading. Just last week got wiped out by by one of them rug rats.
Always aim to to fall sideways with outstretched arms. Thus spreading the impacted surface.
 
Knowing how to fall is only part of it. You also need strong bones and muscles. You can't catch yourself or reasonably spread out the impact if you don't have the muscle strength to do so.
 
Typically people try to break their their fall in some manner, usuallly with their arms. Usually ending up with broken or badly sprained bits.
Often it is attempting not to mess up their clothes, or just instinct. It is not a good technique.
If falling, it is best to to turn as much as possible to expose fleshy parts of body and present as much surface area as possible to land on. And do tuck the chin in tightly. Learned that in Jump school, as part of PLFs (Parachute Landing Fall) for those never 'been in Airborne trianing. We spent a week learning and practicing falling techniques...
I relatively often fall on ice while figure skating, usually as result of to much speed for the maneuvre. Or trying something fancy, sometimes just get blindsided by some 2 foot tall kid (including skates) moving fast on hockey skates and looking anywhere but where they are heading. Just last week got wiped out by by one of them rug rats.
Always aim to to fall sideways with outstretched arms. Thus spreading the impacted surface.
Little Kid gonna be okay? :cool:
 
^^^ Yes. As I wrote in another thread, she is fine. She had all sorts of hockey padding stuff and helmet, gloves etc. on. Unlike me, wearing T shirt, light trousers, no hat or helmet and light gloves. No padding af any sort, just my well ingrained falling techniques still intact at age 77.
:wiseone:
 
Their test protocol $ucks.
Falling on highly padded surface is not the same as falling on hard surface.
But it is funny.
 
Very to hear about this loss and the other stories.
There are two types of muscle fibers: fast twitch and slow twitch. Slow twitch are involved in endurance movements like walking, jogging, lifting weights slowly. average pace cycling, or similar activities. Fast twitch are activated when sprinting, jumping rope, playing basketball or similar sports, etc. Most people do less and less activities as they age. Those most concerned about falling do the least - they shuffle their feet, move slower, and avoid quick motions. Not doing fast twitch activities both causes the atrophy of the fast twitch muscle fibers and also the degradation of the neuro pathways that activate the fast twitch muscles. Catching yourself when you trip requires fast twitch reactions -- both neuro and muscles.

Another factor is that people who want to avoid falling also tend to use aids to maintain balance such as handrails and touching or leaning on walls/doors/counters/ other structures. This reduces their ability to balance on their own.

Those who want to prevent falling need to continue fast twitch activities and activities that involve maintaining their balance.

This information came from a YouTube by Dr Peter Attia. He is very informative and inspiring!

Hope that helps!
 
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Their test protocol $ucks.
Falling on highly padded surface is not the same as falling on hard surface.
But it is funny.
It looks like it could easily fail. For that much money, I'd like to think it would actually deploy every time.
 
Just two days ago, I fell while walking around my block. It happened at night so I am entirely to blame. I shouldn't be paying more attention when walking in darkness but I didn't. 30 years ago, I could have broken my fall somehow to save myself cuts and bruises. But at 63, I don't have the reflexes. I ended up with a small bruise on my knee and scuff marks on my left hand. And I thought about this thread afterward. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to me.
 
It looks like it could easily fail. For that much money, I'd like to think it would actually deploy every time.
The amount of padding they used to fall on would cushion one, and pevent any injury, no matter they fell on it. Looks like about 10 inches of pads.
Stilll think their schtik is funny.:wiseone:
 
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