What makes people fall besides tripping?

Choose the fall feature. LO could fall in the shower or trip for any reason. The fall feature works when the person and the button hits the floor. It will automatically call the operator. If she gets no response the ambulance will be called. I had a problem with my Mom putting the button inside her top. I asked why, she told me the button was hitting stuff and the operator would come on. I told then u know its working.

JulesNeedsHelp. I have a KnoxBox on the front door. Only the fire department has entrance. There is a plastic envelope on the refrigerator with all contact and pertinent medical information. It makes me comfortable to know these things are in place.

@JulesNeedsHelp our key is hidden outside of the house and the monitoring system knows where it is to tell the authorities

Great information in this thread!

My husband's falls were from "narcoleptic-like episodes." Since he did not have a diagnosis of narcolepsy, his doctor had to convince the insurance company to pay for the medication, but it was awesome. I think this was part of his overall condition of dementia.

For several weeks this year I had falls myself, every day. The cause? A UTI! I had not heard of that as a possible UTI symptom, and I haven't seen it on this thread. But the falls (and several other weird symptoms) went away when the UTI was cleared up. Who knew?

I am a moderate fall risk (according to the PT who treated by sciatica) and I have purchased a cute and functional across-the-chest bag to keep my cell phone with me at all times.

The highest risk factor, I think, is simply being old. Old people fall. It is what we do. We can minimize the risk, and try to make it easy to get help after-the-fact, but we can't change our age!

zalmanitzka: Elders are oftentimes unstable on their feet, e.g. my late mother "slipped out of a char" (she did not tell me until 10 months later), she fell when she simply turned around from her kitchen counter to her wall calendar to jot something  down, my mother's gait was off and she listed to one side when we finally remedied that with a shoe lift, they will ditch their walkers when no one is looking, they need to be slow to rise from a seated position to standing because of blood pressure changes. Plus even when they arise out of bed for the day, many a physician will tell them to sit on the side of their bed for a few minutes, else they get up too rapidly and fall.

Definitely get the medical alert 9-1-1 necklace. Be aware that some elders err when they mistakenly take it off when bathing.

I read in an insurance industry newsletter....the number one cause of falling for the elderly....tripping on their pets

I would like to reiterate what previous person said about phone lines. My mom fell and dislocated shoulder. We never found out why for sure, but I believe it was my fault. I had answered her land line and perhaps not replaced it same as she always had. Perhaps she tripped on cord. Also, if your parent has dementia, my mom in AL daily forgot to put on the fall button necklace or bracelet. She worried over it every time she noticed it. I finally signed paperwork to where she didn’t have to wear it.

My FIL had the fall monitoring on his Lifeline and it was the best money spent.

The best wisdom on falling I ever heard was from a Gerontologist who said, "Old people fall. It's what they do." Sounds simple, but think about it. By the time you reach your 80s, there are many failing systems and conditions going on in your body, especially if a person is inactive, eats poorly, and/or is on a lot of meds. Literally, all of those conditions can cause a fall. There are many ways to try to reduce the likelihood of falls, but no way to entirely prevent them. Normal everyday activity is risky for the old and frail, but the alternative, lying or sitting around watching TV, isn't much of a life. So, daredevils they must be.

Even potassium levels can cause falls. :(

If the person is non responsive and the police or EMT or such is sent out ,how do they get into the persons apartment? Break down the door?

Bob, we do learn to change the things for which we feel gratitude as we travel on our caregiving journeys, don't we? Sometimes I used to think, "I'm glad that there weren't any falls today", or "I'm glad that we didn't have to go to the ER again in another blizzard."

Caregiving changes us and helps us appreciate basics more than we could realize; at least that's been my situation.

This may seem awful to say, but as I read many of these comments I feel a certain gratitude that my mother has been bedridden for 5 years, as it minimizes the risk of falling.

Inner ear trouble - some medications - vision problems - many things can cause a fall.

Sometimes the legs just give out. My DH would always fall backwards and one day I noticed he kept his toes in the air - it seems many seniors do this in the mistaken belief that it will prevent a fall; what it does is leans them backwards and they fall. Also, when turning, if the feet cross - they are more apt to fall.

Turning too quickly can also bring on a fall. That happened to my dad when he would come out of the shower - he would turn to grab the towel. I put down locking blocks that cushion (like children's' floor blocks) and told him to steady himself before he turned and it helped a lot.

And maybe before that if we have probs and dont qualify yet for al.

I intend getting an automatic fall alert for myself and husb when we go to al and maybe even to skilled.

We had the life alert necklace on our Mom until she started always taking  it off and hiding it or puting it in her purse. She falls because of B.P. dropping when she stands up and takes off walking. They told us the fall alert pendant would not work well for her anyway because she is a"sinker". Meaning she slides down to the floor. The fall detector necklace cannot detect those kinds of falls. If you trip or fall hard a little sideways, it will detect that. They said it would do her no good really. Sad face....

I changed to the fall alert pendant for my Mom about 3 years ago. It works when the fall is sudden and a certain distance from the ground. She wears it inside her shirt and falls have been detected both inside and out of her home (about 1000' from the phone box). The most important call I received was when she fell outside in February going to the mailbox. She was OK but she couldn't get up on her own so, without the fall alert, she would've been laying there in 20 degree weather for who knows how long before somebody saw her (she forgets she can push the button for help).  I recently changed the service to a GPS based one instead of through her landline so it works regardless of where she is. I also like it because it connects through the button and not the phone line. This means she will hear the person who checks on her anywhere she is and it doesn't tie up her phone line in case of an emergency. This also works as she fell at my brother's and it set off the alert. The downside is that the GPS pendant needs to be charged every few days while the one that works through the phone line will go a very long time (months) before it needs recharging or replacing. The line also has to be tested every month (which I didn't realize until I got a call telling me that). It's definitely worth the peace of mind for me, though, and has helped keep Mom in her own home a while longer.

Even though it is a tv show, Lifeline brings to mind an episode of Criminal Minds where the operator had access to the addresses of callers and used that to commit crimes against them. He even knew details of their personal lives. You cant trust everyone, even first responders.

The ball in my mother's hip broke, causing her to fall. This happens more frequently than you think.

I wear the LifeLine. I do not have dementia, I am 84, at risk for falling because of neuropathy, arthritis, and simple old age. Mine was suggested and arranged for by the local Council on Aging. It is a permanent loan and will be returned to them when I 'no longer need it.' They are responsive, quick, courteous and I recommend them strongly. I also recommend talking with your local Council on Aging. They can help in many ways and have made my life safer and far more pleasant. My husband has Alzheimer's and dementia. I know what I am talking about!

It’s worth adding the service. My mom who had never fallen has slowly gotten less steady on her feet and one evening when I had just returned from a trip she took an awful fall on her back. She was turning to come out of the bathroom and just fell. It sounded like a cabinet had fallen over. The alert went off and we were able to tell them all was ok but imagine if I had not been home and she didn’t have it? The peace of mine it gives me is invaluable.

Funny story, she once set it off in the middle of the night and didn’t hear them call, and none of the call chain folks heard their phones either, she woke up to 4 police officers standing in her bedroom shining flashlights on her! LOL! It was scary but again, at least we know the service works:)

BTW, some hospitals or senior centers have trip prevention classes, addressing not only the potential physical or mental factors contributing to falls, but also how to fall proof a house as much as possible.

Zalma, if you're concerned about falls, reconsider going with a lifeline service that charges more, apparently to detect falls.

Find a company that has a monitor that can detect falling or change in position; those monitors activate automatically and spur a call from the company to the individual, or any of the 3 named first responders (caregiver, EMS or other) if the person wearing the monitor doesn't respond.

And if you're considering any kind of first alert system (which is an excellent idea), also consider instilling a lockbox that's code operated so EMS can open it to get into the house. Locks that slip over the door handle aren't as sturdy and can be sawed off by someone who knows how and has the patience.

My mother fell sadly 2 days ago while my daughter and her great grandson were visiting her. Alot of stitches in her main hand but that seems to be it. She had her walker with her and didnt roll it over a section of pavement correctly. I feel bad although I had nothing to do with it. It curtailed her visits with family here from out of state. I feel as though bad luck is trailing me as there have been a number of difficult issues lately and am not the best at staying mentally strong but am trying hard.

www.healthinaging.org/aging-and-health-a-to-z/topic:falls/info:causes-and-symptoms/

Physical Risk Factors
As we age, many of us develop long-term physical conditions or illnesses that have an impact on gait and balance. Also, a great number of older people suffer from more than one of these conditions at the same time, making the risk of a fall even greater. The following are some examples of illnesses or conditions that increase the risk of falling:

Older age
Arthritis
Chronic pain
Diabetes
Parkinson’s disease
Anemia or other blood disorders
Thyroid problems
Foot disorders
Muscle weakness in the legs
Vertigo (dizziness) or balance difficulties
Sensory disorders, such as vision or hearing problems, or neuropathy (numbness) in the legs and feet
Brain or mood disorders, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, delirium, depression, or psychotic behavior
Urinary incontinence or having to urinate so frequently frequency that it requires numerous urgent trips to the bathroom (sometimes too late)
Dehydration (lack of fluids in your body). We tend to lose water as we get older. Dehydration produces hypotension (low blood pressure) which can bring on a fall. Dehydration can also cause confusion, loss of balance, constipation, and many other unwelcome symptoms. You can become dehydrated without realizing it if the weather is warm, if you take diuretics (“water pills”) and certain other medications, or if you have specific conditions like diabetes.
Fear that you will fall again
Frailty
Low vitamin D
Lifestyle or Behavioral Risk Factors
Even healthy people experience new challenges with aging that can increase the risk of falling.

Medications
The older you get, the more likely it is that you take many different prescription and over-the-counter medicines. When you are older, medications take longer to break down and leave your body. They may also interact with each other in ways that are unexpected and harmful. Certain medications strongly increase your chances of falling. These include medicines such as tranquilizers, sedatives, sleeping pills, antidepressants, or antipsychotics. Additionally, diuretics and blood pressure medications can lower your blood pressure, which increases your chances of falling. Some medications have side effects such as dizziness or confusion that can also increase your fall risk. Additionally, drinking alcohol while taking medications increases the risk of a fall.

Lack of Exercise
Common problems like arthritis, dizziness, and chronic pain may make it more difficult to exercise, even if you were active before. Muscles get weaker, joints ache more, and exercise is more and more challenging. Also, staying indoors reduces your exposure to sunshine. This means that your body produces less vitamin D, which you need to keep bones strong.

Environmental Factors
There may be factors in your environment that can make it more likely that you will fall. These include:

Improper footwear. Wearing shoes with heels or shoes that your feet slide around in is particularly dangerous.
Risks in the home. These can include loose carpets, wires, dark stairways or corridors, or water on the floor.
Risks in the environment outside your home. These can include uneven ground, clutter in the yard, or ice and snow.
Incorrect use of walking aids such as canes or walkers.

zalmanitzka, my Dad was still active in his 90's but a fall risk. Just sitting in his recliner bending down to tie his shoe sometimes would cause him to tumble over. Same when he was out gardening, squatting down to pull a weed, the weed would pull back and over he would roll.

Some times my Dad's knee would give out causing him to lose his balance. For my Mom, doctors believed it was a blood clot in her leg that instantly became quite painful and she lost her balance.

There are so many causes.

My MIL started falling frequently. It turned out to be liver and kidney failure making her weak.

My Moms falls were caused by neuropathy in her ankles. Pivoting on one foot was a no no. Even with a walker she would fall. First, I want to say they r great. Second, be careful where the phone lines are. I had a friend whose vwalker got tangled in the phone line next to her bed. She fell and was on the floor for 14 hrs because she pulled the phone cord out of the wall. They don't work in phone outages. You need them hooked up to a landline so during electrical outages, they work.

Ear infections, sudden changes in blood pressure, changing directions suddenly, standing up too quickly, vision problems, the list is long and falling is dangerous.