.
. >>
. >> THIS
. >> THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING OF
WESTERN MICHIGAN ASSISTING
OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR
CAREGIVERS WITH ALL ASPECTS4@
AGING.
NOW NEXT WEEK IS FALLS
PREVENTION4@ AWARENESS WEEK AND
BARB NELSON IS HERE FROM THE
AREA AGENCY ON AGING TO TALK
ABOUT WHY PREVENTION IS SO VERY@
IMPORTANT.
HIGH BAR TELL US ABOUT THE
SIGNIFICANCE, THE IMPORTANCE4@ F
THIS WEEK.
WELL, NEXT WEEK THEY ALWAYS
DESIGNATE THE FIRST DAY OF FALL
AS NATIONAL FALL PREVENTION
AWARENESS DAY.
AND SO THEY'VE DONE THAT
BECAUSE ARE4@ A H4@UGE HEALTH RK
ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER ADULTS.
BUT GUESS WHAT?
IT'S.
IT'S THE NUMBER ONE4@ REASON FOR
HOSPITALIZATION ACROSS THE AGE
SPECTRUM WHICH IS4@ SOMETHING I
THINK MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE
AND YET FOR OLDER ADULTS I MEAN@
IT'S A TOUGHER BURDEN, RIGHT?
>> I MEAN A FALL IS MUCH MORE
DANGEROUS4@.
ABSOLUTELY.
DANGEROUS4@. ABSOLUTELY. AS WE KNOW.
WE'VE SEEN CHILDREN WHEN THEY
BABIES WHEN THEY START TO WALK
AND THEY FALL AND THEY JUST
SORT OF BOUNCE4@ BACK UP JUST
LIKE RUBBER.
OLDER ADULTS WHEN THEY FALL.
THE CONSEQUENCES ARE MUCH MORE
SERIOUS.
OUR BODIES HAVE AGED AND OUR
JOINTS4@4@ AREN'T AS LIMBER MUSS
ARE MORE ATROPHIED AND SO IT4@
JOINTS4@4@ AREN'T AS LIMBER MUSS ARE MORE ATROPHIED AND SO IT4@4@ REALLY DOE4@S CREATE MUCH MORE F
A RISK FOR OLDER ADULTS.
>>4@ AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS
THAT CAN4@ BE DONE TO HELP
PREVENT FALLS.
TALK A BIT ABOUT THAT4@.
ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, HERE'S THE THING.
THERE IS A PHYSICAL RISK FACTOR
FOR FALLS BUT THERE'S ALSO
PEOPLE DON'T.
4@MAYBE YOU REALIZE BUT THERE IS
A MENTAL FACTOR THAT'S INVOLVED
HERE AND THAT IS THAT IF YOU
HAVE A FEAR OF FALLING YOU
COULD ACTUALLY INCREASE YOUR
RISK FOR FALL.
SO PEOPLE THAT4@4@ THINK THAT O
COULD ACTUALLY INCREASE YOUR RISK FOR FALL. SO PEOPLE THAT4@4@ THINK THAT OI
HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT FALLS, YOU
KNOW, THAT CAN LEAD TO YOU MAKE
DIFFERENT CHOICES LIKE NOT
BEING AS ACT4@IVE AS YOU NORMALY
ARE AND THAT CAN THEN LEAD TO
SORT OF A SELF-FULFILLING
PROPHECY WHERE YOUR MUSCLES
BECOME WEAK, YOUR JOINTS BECOME
WEAKER.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GO TO4@ DO
SO4@METHING MORE ACTIVE JUST
SIMPLY BY GETTING OUT OF THE4@
CHAIR, YOU KNOW, AND DOING
NORMAL ROUTINE ACTIVITIES.
YOU TAKE A FALL.
SO WE CAN DO SOME THINGS
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT FALLS ARE
COMMON.
WE KNOW THERE4@ PREDICTABLE AND
PREVENTABLE AND MOST4@ F4@ALLS @
MULTIFACTORIAL AND I SAY THAT
IS THAT I DON'T WANT PEOPLE4@ TO
REALIZE THIS IS THERE'S REALLY
LIKE A PERFECT STORM.
SO IF WE LIMIT THE MORE FALL
RISK WE ELIMINATE THE BETTER
OFF WE'RE GOING TO BE.
SO I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF
THINGS4@ LIKE ELIMINATING THROW
RUGS.
THOSE ARE SOME PRETTY COMMON
THINGS THAT CLUTTER YOUR HOUSE
.
BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS
THAT WE4@ CAN DO.
AND REALLY4@ IF I LEAVE NOTHING
ELSE ON THE TABLE HERE I WANT
PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT ALL REPORT
ALL YOUR FALLS TO YOUR
PHYSICIAN4@ OR YOUR HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONAL.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE
FALLING4@ BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU
CAN PREVENT FUTURE FALL.
SO.
SO WHEN I SAY REPORT THAT I
MEAN TELL THEM WHAT YOU WERE
DOING4@ WHE4@N YOU FELL.
MAYBE STARTED A NEW YOU KNOW SO
AFTER YOU'VE4@ TAKEN A FALL,
AFTER YOU'VE ASSESSED YOURSELF
,YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVEN'T
HURT YOURSELF SERIOUSLY.
YOU STILL NEED4@ TO THINK ABOUT
WHY DID THAT FALL OCCUR?
WHAT WAS I DOING?
SO4@ THE NEXT TIME I CAN REPORT
THAT TO MY POSITION AND THEY
CAN TELL ME WELL MAYBE IT'S
THAT NEW MEDICATION WE4@ PUT YOU
ON.
MAYBE IT'S THE NEW GLASSES THAT
YOU WERE PRESCRIBED.
YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE MULTIPLE
THINGS COMING TOGETHER SO YOU
NEED TO REPORT ALL THOSE CALLS
TO YOUR HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONAL.
>> GOOD ADVIC4@E4@ DURING THE TS
I'VE COVERED WE'RE COOKED UP
MORE, RIGHT?
>> WE HAVE4@ FEWER OPPORTUNITIES
TO MOVE AND KEEP MOVING4@ AND
ACTIVE.
ANY ADVICE IN THAT AREA?
4@WELL, I'VE SEEN MORE AND MORE
VIRTUAL4@ CLASSES AVAILABLE TO
FOLKS4@ AS A WAY YOU KNOW, AS
EVERYBODY'S ZOOMING.
SO IT'S KIND4@ MORE FACEBOOK.
THERE'S MANY PLATFORMS THAT I'M
SEEING PEOPLE USE OR AGENCIES
USE OUR PARTNER AGENCIES OF
SORT OF ALL JUMPED ON THIS
VIRTUAL4@ NETWORK OF BE ABLE TO@
PROVIDE HEALTHY AGING CLASSES
FOR FOLKS.
AND SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT
PEOPLE CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE
AT W W W DOT4@ A W DOT ORG.
MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN PUT THAT ON
YOUR SPECIFICALLY CLICK ON THE
HEALTHY AGING DEPARTMENT AND
YOU'LL4@ SEE ALL OF THE CLASSES
THAT WE HAVE.
I LOVE IT.
OK.
>> INDEED4@ PUT THAT LINK ON OUR
WEB SITE AT 13 ONYOURSIDE DOT
COM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING
A FEW MOMENTS WITH US.