There’s been snow in Alberta for awhile now. So far those of us in southern Ontario and Quebec have been spared. That might end this week. There’s a chance of snow in the forecast for parts of Ontario. Tracy sounds positively happy about winter running. Me, I’ll commute by bike in the snow but serious snow and ice means, no matter what the temperature, I’ll put my road bike away.
Time to get out the trainer. Soon. But not yet.
But I’ve also got friends who are older, and less active. They’re nervous about walking. More accurately, they’re nervous about falling.
See Ice, Age, and Fear of Falling.
Falling can be bad. I know that. It’s why I want to bundle up all the older people I know and bring them along to Aikido so they can learn to relax when falling.
But worse than falling almost are the effects that fear of falling can bring about. Fear of falling keeps many people inside and less mobile and sadly more likely to fall when they do encounter ice. Indeed, fear of falling in seniors leads to a downward spiral of more inactivity, immobility, and more falls.
A Saint Louis University School of Nursing faculty member named Helen Lach, Ph.D kicked off the first day of “fall” with a simple initiative and timely message to senior adults: “Don’t let fear of falling stand in the way of being active and engaged with the world around you.”
I took a snapshot yesterday of a person balancing on a rock at the end of a jetty. He was taking a picture of the sunset on the first day of Autumn…as this photo illustrates, having a sense of balance is key for being able to get out and explore the world. “While falls can cause problems, we want people to be both cautious and still maintain an active quality of life,” Lach said. “You can’t get rid of all of the risk in your life. But older adults need to maintain their strength, function and activity to the level they are able.”
Helen Lach published an article titled “Impact of Fear of Falling in Long Term Care” that appeared in the August 2013 issue of JAMDA (Journal of the American Medical Directors Association). The review showed that a fear of falling is a significant problem in nursing homes. The cerebellum (down brain) is responsible for balance, rhythm, proprioception … and needs to be engaged throughout a lifetime to maintain a sound mind in a sound body.
Read the rest here.
