LOGANSPORT, IND. — Myra Vanecek, 94, did jumping jacks in her chair with her neighbors in McKinney Place, a senior living facility in northern Indiana.

They all sat in a circle, following the lead of their activities director, Leona Townsend. Jokes and smiles abounded as they did seated sit-ups, arm curls with hand weights and leg raises.

Vanecek has never fallen, but she’s a member of the age group for which such accidents can have devastating effects.

“You have to be careful,” she said. “…[M]ost people my age do tend to get a little dizzy, but it’s a different feeling — wobbly.”

She said exercising helps keep her in shape to prevent falls.

“You have to learn to use your body to the best advantage,” she said.

It’s just one of the ways older people can reduce their chances of falls, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for those 65 and older.

In 2014, older Americans experienced 29 million falls, causing seven million injuries and costing an estimated $31 billion in annual Medicare costs, according to a new report published by the health authority. But experts say understanding why people fall and how to keep from doing so can help people rise above the risk of falling down.

Tumble triggers

Dr. Tochukwu C. Iloabuchi, an assistant professor of Clinical Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine who has worked in geriatrics, said multiple factors leave older adults more prone to falls.

Muscles, joints, nerves, bones, vision, balance and the ability to perceive one’s position in space all weaken as one gets older, he said. Age also brings illnesses and ailments affecting the way one functions, he added.

And while medications are often used to alleviate illnesses and ailments, Iloabuchi said they can come with side effects like drowsiness and dizziness, especially when not taken properly, further increasing the chance of falls.

Combine all of those with environmental factors like stairs and clutter and the risk level rises even more, Iloabuchi went on to say.

Fractures to fatalities

The physical factors Iloabuchi first spoke of also contribute to why falls can have such harmful consequences, like broken bones, which can be just the start of a patient’s ordeal.

“One third of all individuals 65 and older who sustained a hip fracture following a fall will not be alive to see the anniversary of that fall,” Iloabuchi said. “…And up to 50 percent who survive won’t return to life as it was.”

That means having to rely on a cane or a wheelchair, he continued.

Falls can lead to death because of potential blood loss, blood clots and infections, Iloabuchi said. If an older patient requires surgery after a fall, their age can compromise their ability to overcome the physical and psychological stress to recover afterward, he continued.

Along with the decreased wellbeing can come economic loss — rehabilitation expenses, being unable to work and forcing family members to scale back their own employment duties in order to become a caregiver, Iloabuchi said.

Canceling causes

Much of preventing falls has to do with changing what’s causing them, according to Iloabuchi.

And the best way to stay stable is by developing a strong foundation of support, he said.

“Any effort that will help with preventing falls and preserving function and quality of life in an older adult will stand the most chance of being successful when it’s collaborative in nature,” Iloabuchi said. “It will involve the individual and their team — their family, their caregivers, their health care providers.”

Social workers, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists and nurses can all be members of that team too, he continued.

Iloabuchi emphasized individuals should always inform their doctors if they ever experience a fall or near-fall, even if it’s a close call.

A doctor can help an individual determine what medications they should be taking and in what dosages along with how to go about an exercise regimen safely, Iloabuchi said.

Preventing falls is one of the goals behind the exercises Townsend leads.

“I mainly focus on activities that work to keep balance,” she said after a morning workout. “We also do mind games that help keep their minds sharp so they keep focused.”

While doctors are important members of an individual’s team, Iloabuchi said they’re not often aware of environmental factors in their patients’ homes that may be increasing the chances of falls.

That’s where team members like social workers and family members come in, he said. They can help with solutions like getting rid of trip-causing clutter and limiting the need for trips up and down stairs.

Adaptive equipment can prove useful in preventing falls. Those include walkers, lift chairs for transportation up and down stairs, ramps leading in and out of homes, grab bars in showers, shower benches and tubs equipped with doors so residents don’t have to test their balance by lifting their legs when they enter.

Then there are devices people can wear to call for help in the event that they do fall while alone and are unable to get to a phone, Iloabuchi added.

“It can get expensive, but there’s hope,” he said.

Insurance policies from employers, Medicare, Medicaid and grants can help pay for adaptive equipment for use in homes, Iloabuchi went on to say. It can require extensive application processes, but that’s another way in which a team effort can be helpful, he continued.

“Geriatricians, we don’t like to give up,” Iloabuchi said. “If we cannot get the most desired equipment, we begin to seek other alternatives.”

Kirk writes for the Logansport, Indiana Pharos Tribune.