Fallbrook Assisted Living

The Dangers of Falling for Seniors

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A fall is dangerous as it can lead to physical immobility or, in the worst cases, death. The risk is greater with people who are aged 65 years or older, but assisted living facilities have the staff available to help prevent serious falls.

 

 

This article will discuss the specifics on dangers related to falling and the statistics for them. It will also examine the role that assisted living facilities play in creating an environment for the elderly where accidents and injuries resulting from falls are greatly minimized, if not eliminated entirely.

 

 

The Perils of a Fall

A bad fall can leave someone with broken bones and cause fractures that may not be able to heal completely. When this happens, there is a greater risk for physical immobility.

 

Statistically speaking, about one out of three senior citizens fall every year. Two-thirds of those who fall, will fall again within six months. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for last year indicate that 2.8 million seniors are being treated in emergency rooms in the United States due to fall-related injuries.

 

Statistics have also found that men are more likely to die from a fall than women. But women are more likely to be injured from it. Hip fracture rates for women are more than twice what they are for men.

 

 

Seniors at Greater Risk

It is riskier for seniors to have a fall because of diminished bone density. The bones are more fragile at this stage in life, making them much more susceptible to breakage.

 

In medical terms, the conditions related to diminished bone density can be osteoporosis or osteoarthritis.

 

Osteoporosis is a condition that can cause bones to become fragile, making them prone to fracture. On the other hand, osteoarthritis is defined as a disease that causes damage to the joints.

 

 

Apart from fragile bones, there are other consequences to aging that increase the possibility of a fall. Gait and balance are not as they once were in people over 65. Sensory perception won’t be as sharp either. Some forms of medication can be contributory to this.

 

 

Fall Prevention

There are a number of ways to mitigate the risk for an elderly member of the family from suffering an injury due to a fall. Some specific tips are listed below.

 

  • Exercise regularly. This increases leg strength as well as improves balance and increases flexibility.
  • Review medications with a doctor in order to reduce or eliminate those that cause drowsiness or dizziness.
  • Get an annual eye check-up.
  • Get daily-recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D.
  • Avoid getting up too fast when lying down or sitting.
  • Buy an alarm that can be activated in case of a fall.

 

Those aged 75 and older have a greater probability of falling over constantly. In this regard, they will greatly benefit from becoming admitted into assisted living facilities.

 

 

Assisted living facilities are equipped with facilities that allow seniors with limited mobility to live as much of an independent life as possible. Facilities like Fallbrook Assisted Living are staffed by a range of professionals. Some assisted living facilities do have doctors and geriatric nurses on-hand to provide support and care that can help prevent falls or deal with them in a way that minimize painful injury.

 

 

It’s important to research and call direct to ensure the facility you’re considering has everything you need. Contact Fallbrook Assisted Living today for more information.

 

 

 

 

Fallbrook Assisted Living is proud to offer its services to Fremont, NE and surrounding areas and cities: Arlington, Cedar Bluffs, Ames Nickerson, Fontanelle, Arlington, Leshara, Colon, and Hooper

memory assisted living facility

Stress and its Effects on Memory and the Brain

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The human body is an excellent living organism. It can grow and develop. However, it is also quite volatile and susceptible to external influences.

 

 

The demands of this modern world mean that we are subjecting our minds and bodies to all sorts of pressures. The kind that would have been completely alien to our ancestors whose feelings of pressure and tension drew from stressors of a more primal nature.

 

 

Today we’re confronted with living life in the fast lane, having preservatives in our food, as well as a polluted and congested environment. All of these things take a toll and often result in stress.

 

 

In this article, we take a look at both the good and bad sides of stress. How it affects our bodies and minds. We’ll also dive into how assisted living facilities can help people with memory loss resulting from stress and other health factors.

 

 

 

The Problem with Stress

 

Stress is the body’s normal reaction to change. It’s how our body copes and is able to deal with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Even the positive events in our lives can be a cause of stress – a promotion, buying that first home, experiencing childbirth.

 

 

Stress does have some positives. It keeps us alert and motivated. It also serves as an effective mechanism to help us avoid getting into dangerous situations.

 

 

However, there is obviously a dark side to stress. As is often said, too much of something is bad for the body. An excessive amount of stress can be problematic. It can affect both physical and mental health. Chronic stress can affect a person’s sleep patterns, libido, and appetite. It can also exacerbate a range of health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal problems.

 

 

 

The Connection between Stress and Memory Loss

 

Research was done by Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts linking stress and memory loss. According to their published findings in the journal of Neurology, “people with high levels of blood cortisol had much poorer memory when compared with peers with normal cortisol levels. Importantly, impaired memory was present in these individuals even before obvious symptoms of memory loss set in.”

 

 

Cortisol is the main stress hormone and is produced by the adrenal glands. Specifically, it works with certain parts of the brain to control a person’s mood, motivation, and fear.

 

 

In this study, it’s also interesting to note that participants with high cortisol levels tended to have lower total brain volumes, which could be indicative of memory loss.

 

 

A total of 2,018 participants agreed to undergo MRI scans so the volume of their brains could be measured. Those classified as belonging to the high-cortisol group “had an average total cerebral brain volume of 88.5 percent of total cranial volume versus 88.7 percent of total cranial volume in people with regular cortisol levels.”

 

 

 

Assisted Living and Dementia

The decline in mental ability to the point that it interferes with daily life is called dementia. In the study above, those individuals who are often stressed have a higher tendency of experiencing dementia.

 

 

 

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common examples of dementia. People with this type of memory loss are admitted into an assisted living facility that can help them deal with their condition and retain as much of a normal life as possible.

 

 

 

Fallbrook Assisted Living is proud to offer its services to Fremont, NE and surrounding areas and cities: Arlington, Cedar Bluffs, Ames Nickerson, Fontanelle, Arlington, Leshara, Colon, and Hooper