Ambulation and Preventing Falls

Ambulation

Ambulation (to walk about or move from place to place) helps to maintain muscle tone, muscle strength and range of motion. Range of motion requires energy and results in increased circulation and overall health so it's important to keep moving. Aging or living with a disease may decrease your ambulation and put you at greater risk of falling when you do decide to get up and move around. Falls often end in cuts, scrapes and bruises, but can sometimes be much more severe. It's important to understand the contributing factors to losing your balance and strategies on how to prevent falling in the first place.

Preventing Falls

Most serious falls occur in and around the home, but some simple precautions can help reduce your risk of falling.  For instance, make sure that handrails in stairways are securely fastened and that all rugs are secured to the floor with tacks, nonskid pads or double-sided tape.

Falling can lead to life-changing injuries and could result in having to give up some independence, but a brochure called “Preventing Falls at Home” can help. It offers these additional tips:

• Be sure that you can move safely in the bathroom area, and in and out of the tub or shower.

• Keep frequently used kitchen items, such as dishes and food, within easy reach.

• Place night-lights in hallways, bedrooms, bathrooms and stairways.

APFC Home Care is a team of highly educated experts devoted to providing our customers with the most comprehensive care possible. We offer free in-home assessments designed to discover the best possible plan of care for our clients that ensures family security and peace of mind. APFC Home Care is not a staffing agency or simply a referral service. We offer premium home health and personal care better than anyone because we consider our customers to be part of our family.

Also, you can contact the Eldercare Locator at (800) 677-1116 or visit http://www.eldercare.gov to order the “Preventing Falls at Home” brochure. The Eldercare Locator is a free, public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging and is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).