Be Careful, Don't Fall!

Toddlers fall a lot and it seems so do the elderly. I think I'm getting there but am only 57--this is not good!

Dad Goes Boom

My dad used to fall quite often once he hit his 80s. The beginning of his falling seems to be when he fell in our driveway one day and broke his hip. He recovered nicely but didn't want to go to the hospital. Oh, what a fuss he made!

After that he would fall often it seemed to me but didn't break any more bones. He got the Life Alert and sometimes it was very useful when he would fall and couldn't get up, but after it went of accidentally a few times, he quit carrying it with him which got me mad. One Sunday in particular I remember he feel in his hallway and just waited for us to come by at our usual time after church. When he fell while grocery shopping pushing his cart to the car, he cut his head and we got a call from the paramedics saying he didn't want them to take him to the hospital but he hurt his head so he really should get it checked.

Now I'm Falling!

Since my lumpectomy, the doctors told me I should be very careful about not bumping my right arm. I also found out that my bone density is a bit below average. So far, I've fallen once at work tripping over the carpet and sliding into a file cabinet, once playing tennis I was backpedaling and just sat down, hitting my head on the concrete but was okay after rubbing it. Every time our phone would ring at an odd time, I'd think, "Uh oh, now what happened?"

Yesterday, I fell again while changing clothes! My foot got caught in my pant leg and I lost my balance and toppled over, bumping my head on the dresser once I was down. I thought about how dad used to fall all the time and I felt like a klutz. I just read Left Neglected recently about a lady getting brain damage when she was in a car accident and hoped my brain was still okay. I thought about that commercial where the lady falls and can't get up. I'm not that bad off yet, but if I was knocked unconscious, I wonder how long I would lay there. The stuff on the dresser made noise but my husband was watching TV in the living room and heard nothing. My cat, Spunky Doodle, came in to check on me, but by then I was up and just rubbing my head. No broken bones and no brain damage, whew! It's ironic that I fall in my bedroom when I've managed to stay upright walking on all the ice every day to and from the bus stop.

Tips About Falling

Here are some tips to remember when falling or things to do to help prevent a fall:

1. Just roll and try to protect your head. (I am still working on this one.)

2. Always hold on to something steady when standing on one foot.

3. Use the handrails on stairs.

4. When on ice, take small steps and walk on your toes first and not your heels first.

I've been very fortunate with my falls. How about you? Have you fallen or know some elderly people who have?

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