Falls account for 13 percent of injury-related deaths in Canada, according to a 2004 Statistics Canada report. Another Statistics Canada report, from 2005, shows that falls account for more deaths than poisonings, homicides, HIV, influenza or liver disease septicaemia and viral hepatitis.  The same organization reports that 49 percent of people aged 65 or older who have injurious falls sustain fractures—most likely to the arms or hands, then the legs or feet and followed by fractures to the hips.

There are several reasons we become more susceptible to devastating fall-related injuries as we age; we lose protective bone and muscle mass, we are commonly affected by mobility-limiting disease like arthritis, and we tend to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle that further reduces our balance and mobility.

For older adults, a fall is often a precipitating event that leads to a generalized decline in health and can result in death. Our bones take longer to heal when we are older; a fracture that would slow someone in their 20s or 30s for six weeks could leave someone in their 60s or 70s bedridden for even longer. Bedridden older adults are at risk of pneumonia and blood clots—among other problems—and hasten the process of muscle loss.

What can you do if you are worried about falls? Don’t wait for one; be proactive—and not reactive—about your health. If you haven’t done this, don’t write-off your health either—know that it is truly never too late to adopt an active lifestyle.

While all exercise helps us maintain mobility and prevent falls, there are also specific exercises we can perform, many from home, that target important muscles used for balance. Try the following:

Hamstring Curls: Stand up straight and hold onto the back of a chair, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift one foot by bending at the knee; bring your heel up as high as you can. Try three sets of 10 repetitions for each leg daily.

Chair Squats: Stand in front of a chair, ready to sit down. Slowly lower your body until you are seated—trying to avoid placing weight on the arms of the chair—and then slowly stand right away. Work up to three sets of 10 repetitions daily.

Leg Extensions: While seated in a chair with your back straight, slowly raise one leg at a time, making it parallel to the floor. Hold your leg out for up to 10 seconds (you’ll likely need to build endurance) before lowering it. Eventually, you should be able to do three sets of 10 repetitions for each leg daily.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer.  For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.

Our muscles and bones respond to the stresses that we put on them with our activities of daily living.  As our lives become less vigorous our muscles and bones lose strength. The best way to overcome this is to keep our leg muscles strong by performing some basic exercises each day.

If you are inactive for an extended period of time and then you challenge your muscles by trying to perform a task that you have not done regularly your muscles may not be there for you.  For example, if your main activity for years has been walking, then one day you need to move more quickly to avoid traffic, your legs may not have the power you need to speed up and you may end up falling.  This is where “Use it or Lose It” comes into play.  If you do not regularly put a baseline of demands on your body, especially your lower body, then you become weaker.  This is why falling is the biggest health risk for seniors. 
 
The good news is that keeping your leg muscles strong and having good balance helps to improve your mobility and prevent falls. Try to do these exercises everyday for best results.

Chair Squats:  Stand in front of a sturdy chair. In a controlled and steady motion sit into the chair, then stand up. Work towards not using the arms on the chair and standing back up without resting. Remember to breathe throughout. Start with a few repetitions and progress to 10 repetitions twice per day.

Leg Extensions: Sitting up straight in a supportive chair slowly straighten out your leg and lower it back down. Work towards holding your leg out for ten seconds while breathing normally.  Start with a few repetitions and progress to 10 repetitions three times a day.

Hamstring Curls:  Hold on to a sturdy chair back or grab bar. Stand up tall with your eyes forward. Keeping your knees shoulder width apart bend one knee so that your heel comes up toward your back. If this is difficult only lift your foot up as high as you are comfortable with.  Start with a few repetitions and progress to 10 repetitions three times a day.

These exercises are designed to keep your legs strong and to prevent falls.  It is important to stay active so also consider going for a walk with a friend, or joining an appropriate exercise program offered through a local seniors’ center, or a recreation center. 

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer.  For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.

Whether you or your loved one requires senior care, personal care, transportation, housekeeping, or grocery shopping, our care team will provide companionship while assisting individuals to maintain independence and enhance daily living. For those residing in Maple Ridge or Abbotsford, Karp Homecare services can transport you to and from your medical or dental appointments as well as accompany you to any of.

Contact us Today if you have any questions about your personal care needs:

Please feel free to contact us with any personal care questions or inquiries you may have:

Please feel free to contact us with any personal care questions or inquiries you may have:

Please feel free to contact us with any personal care questions or inquiries you may have:

Our care team provides quality nursing and in home care services in the Burnaby and New Westminster area. Karp Homecare services can transport you to and from your medical or dental appointments as well as accompany you to any of Burnaby or New Westminster’s shopping attractions. In Burnaby, these may include Metrotown Centre, Lougheed Mall or Brentwood Mall and in New Westminster; Royal City Centre Mall or Westminster Quay Public Market. For those wanting to participate in community based activities, our care team will take you to any of Burnaby’s eight community centres or your chosen senior’s activity centre. In New Westminster, perhaps you would like to visit Centennial and Queensborough Community Centres, Canada Games Pool, or Century House Senior’s Centre. If it is fresh air that you’re after, let your personal care companion take you to your favourite park or walking trail. Whether you or your loved one requires senior care, personal care, transportation, housekeeping, or grocery shopping, our care team will provide companionship while assisting individuals to maintain independence and enhance daily living.

Please feel free to contact us with any personal care questions or inquiries you may have:

Please feel free to contact us with any personal care questions or inquiries you may have:

It is no wonder, then, that seniors find memory loss a daunting, frustrating and frequently depressing inevitability of aging. Everyone experiences memory loss as they age—regardless of whether or not one suffers from dementia. Fortunately, studies have shown that engagement in social and intellectual activities can slow the onset or development of dementia.

There are several types of dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Pick’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Quite often, the symptoms of depression in seniors may be perceived by others as symptoms of dementia. In The Vanishing Mind, authors Leonard L. Heston and June White explain how to differentiate between dementia and depression in seniors. Seniors suffering from depression may complain of memory loss and frequently talk about their disability, whereas those suffering from the onset of dementia may try to hide their memory loss, be averse to speaking about it, or not even realize they have dementia at all.

According to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA), approximately eight percent of those 65 or over in Canada have some form of dementia. As Canadians age, the diseases are far more common. Thirty-five percent of Canadians 85 or over suffer from dementia.

To preserve a sharp mind, it is beneficial to stay stimulated. If seniors can maintain healthy social relationships—with partners, friends, family members and caregivers—and engage in stimulating activities such as reading and completing puzzles, they can prolong the onset of dementia, which often takes years. A 2002 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology revealed that “elderly subjects who participated in mental, social or productive activity had a lower incidence of dementia.”

There are products for entertaining and mentally engaging seniors—including the soon to be released Dakim Brain Fitness (www.dakim.com)—though such products are not necessities. It is just as beneficial for seniors to chat over a coffee with a friend, create a painting, work on a crossword puzzle from a newspaper or read a good book.