Importance of Preventing Falls in the Elderly

Aside from serious illnesses, one of the most dreadful things to occur to a senior are falls. Unlike younger individuals, senior adults don't take falls too well as their weakened structure can only take so much impact.

It's no wonder one of the first few things doctors ask when seniors visit their clinic is if they've recently had any accidents or falls. In addition to possible injuries from the fall itself, the fact that an older person has fallen could indicate any number of possibly more serious physical problems.

"Eleven years ago, we didn't have a lot of research to back up the anecdotal things we thought were important," she says. For example, vitamin D was thought to be helpful in maintaining senior balance and reducing the risk of falls. Now, it's much more strongly recommended. Physical exercise, specifically including tai chi and strength and cardiovascular training, has similarly emerged in research studies as a major way to reduce falls.