Talk to your friends and family
It is important to have discussions with your friends and family regarding any fear of falling you have, any falls that happen, and any ways that may help you decrease your risk of falling!
Family and friends can help keep us safe, but we need to speak up!
NCOA describes 5 easy steps for how to talk with your friends and family about falls:
1. Start small; have 1:1 conversations with someone you trust about your concerns and fears of falling.
2. Ask for help and be specific! The more information you share the more your loved ones will be able to help.
3. Involve your family; bring them to upcoming doctors appointments, let them know if you have fallen (or nearly fell), fill them in on any issues you are currently having.
4. Keep Talking! The more we talk about it the easier it gets.
5. Be Assertive! It’s important to advocate for yourself; clearly ask for what you need. Friends and family can help you install grab bars, remove throw rugs, and help you implement any falls prevention strategies that you may need.
Visit NCOA’s website for more information.
Talk to your health care provider
Despite the face that 1 in 4 older adults fall each year, only about half of those report a fall to their health care provider.
NCOA provides 6 easy to implement steps to help start a conversation with your health-care provider today!
1. Write a list of what you would like to talk about prior to your doctor’s appointment.
2. Ask for a falls risk assessment.
3. Ask about other specialists. Other specialists who can help with falls prevention include: physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other specialists who may focus on medication, vision, nutrition, or hearing (this is not an exhaustive list).
4. Be honest! The more your health-care provider knows the more they will be able to help and interevene.
5. Take notes! This can help you remember everything you and your health-care provider spoke about.
6. Ask questions! If there is anything you don’t understand or need further clarification for be sure to ask.