Reducing your risk of injury during old age might not seem like a lively topic, but a discussion that must be had. It is a well-known fact that the older we get, the more likely we are to suffer an injury of varying degrees.
Senior citizens are at an increased risk of suffering injuries due to health conditions, physical changes over time, medications used to treat health conditions and several additional reasons.
We have compiled a list of ways you can reduce injury as a senior citizen.
Your Doctor is your Friend
The first thing you must do when planning to decrease injury is to visit your doctor regularly. There are a few questions that you and your physician should go over. What medications have you taken over time, have you previously fallen and what could be the cause of your falls or injuries?
Physical Activities
Physical activities will go a long way in injury prevention, especially for senior citizens. Go over a few physical activities with your physician, choose a few that you feel comfortable with and exercise often. You can decide to partake in walking, dancing, swimming or even gentle aerobics.
Appropriate Shoes
When creating a fall-prevention plan, make provision for footwear that is comfortable and safe. Avoid high heels, large boots, shoes with slick soles that increase the risk of slipping and falling.
Wearing well-made, sturdy shoes with non-skid soles that fit correctly will significantly reduce the risk of falling.
Get help
Another step you can take to reduce the risk of injuries as you age would be to make use of products that assist older citizens as well as those of us with disabilities. Choose disability and mobility products that make physical movement more natural and safer.
Eat clean
This advice is not restricted to senior citizens, one of the most efficient ways for you to improve your health, wellbeing as well as reduce your risk of injuries is to eat clean. Eat meals that strengthen your bones and improve your general wellbeing.
Know your Limits
One thing that a lot of us fail to do is identify the things that we can and cannot do. The older we get, the more critical it becomes for us to know our limits. You will not be able to do the things you did when you were younger, understand and come to terms with this fact.
Remove Hazards
The more clutter you have in your home, the higher your chances of injury, take a look around your home, identify potential hazards then remove or relocate them. Boxes, electrical cords, tables, floorboards, spilled liquids, and the likes can all increase your chances of slipping, falling and ultimately injury.
Improve Lighting
Your odds of slipping and falling increase exponentially at night and under insufficient light. If your home isn’t brightly lit, you stand the risk of hurting yourself. Improve the lighting within your home to avoid tripping over objects that might be hard to see, also keep flashlights handy at all times.
Check for Structural Hazards
A lot of the time, there are in-built features in our homes that pose a considerable amount of danger to senior citizens but are safe for the rest of us. A few examples include steps at the entrance of showers, high cupboards and slippery tiles. Identify these and have them fixed if possible.
Keep Living
After all is said and done, the best thing you can do during your old age would be to understand your limitations and work hard to overcome them. The fact that you are older and more prone to injury doesn’t mean that you should stop living, be more careful but don’t stop moving.
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