Tips and Tricks for Staying Safe if You’re a Fall Risk - Easeability Use Case

Written by Guest Contributor: Mia Carter based upon her own lived experience.

Countless injuries, illnesses, diseases, and conditions can impact your balance and steadiness, leaving you at risk of serious injuries or even death. The Easeability Jacket is one tool for helping you reduce your risk of a fall, but some simple tips and tricks can go even further to help you stay safe.

You could find yourself with a “fall risk” bracelet at any age. I earned mine at age 41 after I broke my femur and my spine after I tripped on a rug in my bedroom. I had an emergency ORIF surgery to stabilize the fracture, but I was under doctor’s orders to avoid anything beyond toe-touch weight bearing (TTWB) for the first six weeks. Then, two weeks after my surgery, I was transferred to a physical therapy rehab. I was there for approximately 24 hours when I had a fatal deep-vein thrombosis (DVT.) I survived the unsurvivable – and without brain injury, despite three prolonged cardiac arrests and over an hour of CPR. I was in a coma for 8 days, so by the time I woke up, my feet hadn’t touched the floor for approximately one month. I was so profoundly weak, I couldn’t even adjust my position in bed. 

I spent over two years re-learning how to sit, stand, and walk. My fall risk was sky high due to weakness and spinal injury. And I did fall again a few months later, breaking my humerus. I became a fall risk aficionado, learning about all the hazards and circumstances that can lead to a fall. Here are a few of my top tips.

 

Understand WHY You Are a Fall Risk

• Is it a balance issue from an inner ear infection or vestibular syndrome? 

• Do you have sensation and/or proprioception issues, where you struggle to perceive the position of your limbs in space without physically looking at the limb?  

• Is poor vision or hearing a factor? 

• Did you suffer a leg, hip or back injury that has changed your gait? 

• Do you have issues with weakness or nerve issues? 

• Are you living with a lack of flexibility and/or spastic muscle tone?  

• Is it due to a combination of issues related to old age?  

Often, there is more than one factor making you a fall risk. My risk arose from profound weakness and muscle atrophy, fractures in my leg and spine, and muscle spasm issues that made lifting my feet up off the ground a huge challenge. I had a shuffling gate, which also made me more prone to tripping on rugs or uneven surfaces. 

I also realized that my reflexive response to a loss of balance was much slower than normal. We make small corrections in our stance when we begin to lose balance. If your feet are rooted in place and you cannot adjust your stance in response to a loss of balance, that’s when you fall over.

So for me, understanding why I was unsteady and why I was prone to falling were important parts of my recovery. This is also an area where your physical therapist or physician can provide some useful insights into why you’re deemed a high fall risk.

Tips and Tricks to Avoid Falls

Once I understood the causes of my falls, I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to avoid falling again. Next step: come up with an anti-fall strategy with your caretaker (or, if you’re the caretaker, with your fall-prone charge.) 

• Identify high-risk activities or movements with the most vulnerability. Common danger zones include:

• Rugs and carpet, especially at the edges and with area rugs that are not anchored down. 

• Flooring transition zones (i.e. carpet turns to tile).

• The kitchen, bathrooms, and other locations where water may be present. 

• Near water sources such as dog bowls or the kitchen table.  

• Narrow walkways or objects near a walkway that can catch your feet. 

• Uneven surfaces and areas with small step-ups like curbing or rock borders on a path.

• Areas near kitty litter boxes where litter can make the floor slippery.

• Sandy areas on pavement, especially in areas where sand is used to treat icy walkways in the winter. 

• Areas where you’re forced to lift one foot off the ground (i.e. getting into bed, getting into the car, stepping into the shower, etc.) 

• Toys, leaves, rocks and other objects in the walking area.

Plan before you do:

When these tricky areas cannot be avoided, they must be tackled with a plan. The right shoe and flooring pairing is one such example. For instance, a shoe with a rubbery sole can “catch” on low-pile “office carpet,” while a smooth shoe sole on that same surface can become very slippery.

Before you get up to walk, mentally travel the path. Identify areas where you could be prone to slipping, or areas where you need to step up or negotiate a narrow path. Think of what footwork you’ll need to perform. For instance, going to the bathroom, you’ll need to:

• Lock your wheelchair

• Stand up

• Grasp the grab bar

• Pivot

• Adjust your grasp

• Sit

Then, do the reverse to get up and return to the wheelchair once you’re done. 

In addition to planning your moves, look around and make sure there are no obstacles, wet areas or debris, and no objects that could cause you to slip or trip. 

Have your caregiver remove obstacles if possible and be aware of dynamic elements in your setting. Discussing these together can be empowering for you both. Before you or your person stand and walk, address variables such as pets and kids. When possible, announce your intentions and maintain a clear path. 

Do your best to avoid a scenario where kids or pets are getting under foot or  bumping into someone who’s unsteady. Keep track of the “moving parts” in the setting so a caretaker can address them if needed. This way, the walker can maintain a focus on walking safely and avoiding falls. 

The Easeability Jacket can be a useful tool for improving confidence and reducing the risk of falls for walkers and caretakers alike, as the unique design offers hand holds that allow a caretaker to take action if a slip or fall does happen. It was designed to be one less thing to remember. Once it's on for the day, you are comfortably carrying around mobility assistance with you. That is the gift of one less thing to worry about. Then, should a your fall risk and up slipping, you will have the perfect place to catch them and restabillze them with the straps on the front and back of the jacket.

I didn't have the luxury of this jacket while going through the thick of my fall risk era. If you are a loved one are there, make sure you give yourselves the gift of a backup plan if all your other efforts to keep them steady and on their feet fails. Shop Easeability Jackets and make caregiving and being cared for a little easier this year! 

Note: The Easeability Jacket is not a medical device. Please do not lift anyone that you don't feel capable of assisting. Protect your body as the caregiver to ensure you are not injured while attempting to lift your loved one regardless of the method you use.