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Seniors and Fall Risk

Donna Nichols • July 10, 2023

As we age, our fall risk increases. There are many factors that contribute to this fact, and most are age-related. Muscle weakness and balance problems are the leading factors relating to fall risks in seniors. It can also be caused by blurred vision, dizziness, or some medications. Even being afraid of falling can increase your fall risk. We’ll talk about some age-related fall risks and possible ways to avoid them.


My mother is 95 years old and has poor eyesight. She has tripped and fallen over bright yellow painted curb stops twice; luckily, she hasn’t seriously hurt herself, but now she is afraid to leave the house. When I take her somewhere she always gets angry at me because I am always holding her by her arm and making sure she is walking safely. I just tell her she’s not falling on my watch! It must be so scary to feel this way.


Reasons for fall risk:


As we age, our muscles lose strength, and our bones get weaker. This means our muscle mass is not as dense as it used to be so we can fall easier. Also, our bones are weaker so they may have a harder time holding our bodies upright.


We tend to get a weaker sense of balance as we get older. Changes on our body and some medication side effects can make it difficult to stay balanced and steady on our feet.


As our vision worsens so does our balance and our ability to avoid obstacles. The ability to stand upright and see what’s in our path is lessened as well as we tend to look down to avoid tripping over things.


Age also makes our hips and ankles less flexible which increases our fall risk. This is why it’s so important to exercise. Walking is one of the best exercises for seniors to improve their balance, strength, and flexibility, but you must ensure you are able to walk safely.


Ways to reduce fall risk:


You can make your home safer by decluttering the main areas, especially walkways, making sure there are no throw rugs, this is one of the main fall risks in most homes. If you can’t see well, improve the lighting, open the blinds, or buy more lights. Making simple safety updates in the home is easy and can prevent a major health disaster.


Safe, regular exercise to build strength, balance, and flexibility is the key to reducing your fall risk. There are many chair exercises now that can help build the strength in your legs so you can progress to standing exercises after doing those.


Have your vision checked regularly and treat any problems. Early detection of eye problems can prevent a serious condition from forming.


Make sure any canes or walkers you use fit properly for your stance. Having to bend over to hold a cane or walk with a walker will only hurt your back and cause more issues down the road. Have your doctor or physical therapist fit it to suit your body type.


Also, make sure you wear comfortable, supportive shoes and slippers with non-slip soles. Don’t wear any shoes or slippers that are too big or too small. Make sure they fit properly as well.



So, as we age our fall risk increases from several factors. We can help prevent our fall risk with some simple, easy steps and keep ourselves out of the hospital and our bones from breaking. Please ensure you take caution. You can seriously injure yourself from a fall and the older we get, the harder it is to bounce back.

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
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Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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