Falls around the house and outside

[billd766]

I am 72, overweight but reasonably fit and I am taking a free online course from Newcastle University called ageing well : Falls.

 

It is a 4 week course for those older and sometimes not so old people who have falls around the house outside etc and suggests some causes and some ways of improving your personal safety.

 

For the less sensible posters it has NOTHING TO DO WITH balcony jumpers or people who fall from tall buildings.

 

There is a link here should anyone be interested.

 

https://email.futurelearn.com/courses/falls

Edited September 19, 2016 by billd766
Edit the link

[chiang mai]

Peripheral neuropathy is a major cause, foot dragging or loss of sensation in the feet and legs is a feature of ageing, it happens to us all.

[Scotwight]

How much does it cost?  Free I guess.  Looks good.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Scotwight

[cmsally]

Tai Chi for balance

 

Tai Chi and Qi Gong, great for balance and posture

[billd766]

15 minutes ago, Scotwight said:

How much does it cost?  Free I guess.  Looks good.

 

It is free but if you want a certificate at the end that costs about £60.

 

The certificate is NOT compulsory.

[billd766]

Just now, cmsally said:

Tai Chi for balance

 

Tai Chi and Qi Gong, great for balance and posture

 

That might not help if you slip on the stairs or in the shower or perhaps trip over an extension cable lead lying on the floor.

[cmsally]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

 

That might not help if you slip on the stairs or in the shower or perhaps trip over an extension cable lead lying on the floor.

 

Tai Chi and fall reductions

[meatboy]

11 hours ago, chiang mai said:

Peripheral neuropathy is a major cause, foot dragging or loss of sensation in the feet and legs is a feature of ageing, it happens to us all.

i am coming up to billds age,but so far the only falling about i have experianced is after cider.

 

[Ace of Pop]

Sort of within Topic.The new or refinished Macro outlets are re fitted with a superb tile that's not like walking on Ice.l can walk easy outdoors with foot ware ,but find tilled floors slippy unless barefooted,don't know why that is Realy,other Old Coffin Dodgers Seem to scoot round ,but in the Car Park they look old as they walk,yet I don't. Any comments?.


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[billd766]

I have caught my heel coming down the stairs twice in the last year.

 

The first time I bounced on my ass down the last 3 treads and it was difficult to sit comfortably for a day or two.

 

The second time I did something similar but fell forwards and to the left landing on my front left side casually throwing  plastic water glass in front of me and dropping my Ebook reader which fortunately was in a protector and suffered no damage.

 

I got more bruising the second time though I am amply padded and I was bellowing for my wife who was dozing on the sofa and hidden from me by the dining table. By the time she had woken up properly I had managed to squiddle around, roll over on all 4s and work my way up 2 stairs by hauling up the bannisters.

 

After that she helped my to my computer chair where I sat for 10 or 15 minutes recovering before I dragged my aching bones back upstairs to bed for a couple of hours.

 

Now I come down the stairs sideways and slowly, one step at a time, with one hand gripping the banisters all the way

[Camelot]

Sensible to use the banisters but "grab bars" can also help, especially in the bathroom. Non-slip tile or mat can also help.

 

I avoid some of these problems by living in a bungalow.

[tutsiwarrior]

my shophouse stairs are steep and are potentially lethal...highly polished floor tiles also in all living areas so I have got in the habit of being careful...

 

my 74 y.o. MiL gets around OK when she comes over so I got no reason to complain...but she's only about 4'10" and weighs less than 50kgs so she gots an advantage...

[billd766]

52 minutes ago, Camelot said:

Sensible to use the banisters but "grab bars" can also help, especially in the bathroom. Non-slip tile or mat can also help.

 

I avoid some of these problems by living in a bungalow.

 

We built the house about 13 years ago and I confess that I never even considered getting old and worrying about stairs.

[billd766]

22 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

my shophouse stairs are steep and are potentially lethal...highly polished floor tiles also in all living areas so I have got in the habit of being careful...

 

my 74 y.o. MiL gets around OK when she comes over so I got no reason to complain...but she's only about 4'10" and weighs less than 50kgs so she gots an advantage...

 

Also she will be  easier to pick up from the floor at less than 50 kgs compared to my 121 kg.

Edited September 21, 2016 by billd766
correcting my spelling

[tutsiwarrior]

an'...I just lost 11kgs since I been home last...gotta try out the stairs in my present 'sprightly mobility' mode...losin' a bit of weight can't hurt as well as improving BG and BP in general...I read about the visceral fat problem with regard to a general improvement in health an' decided to lose some weight...still gotta lose 8kgs more to get down to normal weight range...

 

but when it comes to them shophouse stairs and the hazard one can't be complacent regardless of any improvement...

[meatboy]

18 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

We built the house about 13 years ago and I confess that I never even considered getting old and worrying about stairs.

i have to consider a room downstairs if i get another seizure,it took 6 to carry me downstairs and even then my feet were badly scraped on the wall,and i am only 95kilo's.

so i am doing all i can to help myself from having another one.

[tutsiwarrior]

a couple of years ago the wife built a downstairs toilet for me to use...a couple of times with unstable bowels I didn't make it to the upstairs toilet and the ensuing 'accident' was a mess...

 

she probably figures that she ain't seen the worst as I ain't gettin' any younger and the stairs won't get any less steep...

[billd766]

31 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

a couple of years ago the wife built a downstairs toilet for me to use...a couple of times with unstable bowels I didn't make it to the upstairs toilet and the ensuing 'accident' was a mess...

 

she probably figures that she ain't seen the worst as I ain't gettin' any younger and the stairs won't get any less steep...

 

She's right too. Leaky bowels is something that gets me every year or so. Rarely does it catch me while I am out,  but more often when I am home, which is odd as I would have thought it would be the other way around.

 

The room downstairs is easy to make into a bedroom as that it is what it was built as. I means moving all the clothes, ironing and junk out when I get relocated to downstairs with my bed etc and there is the downstairs toilet right next door.

[wpcoe]

In the past year, I've noticed a strange phenomenon with me and stairs. In my youth, I could bound up stairs, often two at a time, and have firm footing the entire way.

 

Now, however, after about seven or eight stairs, if I'm not concentrating, my legs seem to lose the rhythm and i miss hitting the stairs toward the top.  It's like the muscle memory fails.

 

HOWEVER, I noticed that if I count mentally 1-to-5 or -6 with each step and restart counting, I never miss a step.  If I count to -7 or -8, I already miss the steady footing.

 

I can go as fast as ever, never missing a stair, if I count 1-to-5 or -6 repeatedly.   Any ideas why this might be?

[dick dasterdly]

9 hours ago, wpcoe said:

In the past year, I've noticed a strange phenomenon with me and stairs. In my youth, I could bound up stairs, often two at a time, and have firm footing the entire way.

 

Now, however, after about seven or eight stairs, if I'm not concentrating, my legs seem to lose the rhythm and i miss hitting the stairs toward the top.  It's like the muscle memory fails.

 

HOWEVER, I noticed that if I count mentally 1-to-5 or -6 with each step and restart counting, I never miss a step.  If I count to -7 or -8, I already miss the steady footing.

 

I can go as fast as ever, never missing a stair, if I count 1-to-5 or -6 repeatedly.   Any ideas why this might be?

Counting helps your concentration I expect?

 

Having 'thrown' myself down the stairs a number of times (when young and rushing about - and being naturally clumsy), I've always been very wary of stairs/steps - and walk down them quite slowly with a light grip on the handrail.

 

Having broken my wrist twice in the last few years.... I'm still a bit frightened of slipping and falling whilst outside, which brings me to a 'pet' gripe - why is it so bloody difficult to find sandals with rubber soles (i.e. non- slippy) here??!

[meatboy]

10 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

She's right too. Leaky bowels is something that gets me every year or so. Rarely does it catch me while I am out,  but more often when I am home, which is odd as I would have thought it would be the other way around.

 

The room downstairs is easy to make into a bedroom as that it is what it was built as. I means moving all the clothes, ironing and junk out when I get relocated to downstairs with my bed etc and there is the downstairs toilet right next door.

the room down stairs was supposed to be a 5th.bedroom plus toilet.

but for the past 6yrs.its a fully fitted dont laugh gym which gathers dust.

[meatboy]

33 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Counting helps your concentration I expect?

 

Having 'thrown' myself down the stairs a number of times (when young and rushing about - and being naturally clumsy), I've always been very wary of stairs/steps - and walk down them quite slowly with a light grip on the handrail.

 

Having broken my wrist twice in the last few years.... I'm still a bit frightened of slipping and falling whilst outside, which brings me to a 'pet' gripe - why is it so bloody difficult to find sandals with rubber soles (i.e. non- slippy) here??!

i did bring a pair of rubber sole sandals with me from the uk.cost me 35gbp. 8ys.ago [CLARKS] they just went in the bin last week.

[Ace of Pop]

I thought it was just me that had prob with slipping.No prob with barefoot ,but ware Sandals and I feel like a Cartoon Duck on Ice.It Realy puts me off going anywhere with tilled floors .Can walk easy outside on rough or paved,just gets. Me down sometimes.


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[dick dasterdly]

2 hours ago, meatboy said:

i did bring a pair of rubber sole sandals with me from the uk.cost me 35gbp. 8ys.ago [CLARKS] they just went in the bin last week.

Lucky you!

 

I brought some Mares sandals with me and they were great whilst they lasted.  I used them for walking the dogs, and could even walk over slippery rocks - but they only lasted a year or so.

 

I've never found anything close to as good since, but that is probably at least partly because I'm far more worried about falling nowadays.....

[billd766]

3 hours ago, meatboy said:

the room down stairs was supposed to be a 5th.bedroom plus toilet.

but for the past 6yrs.its a fully fitted dont laugh gym which gathers dust.

 

I am sorry but I could not help myself. Not only that but for reason I can't download emoticons so I am reduced to copying and pasting yours.

 

   

 

 

[meatboy]

55 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

I am sorry but I could not help myself. Not only that but for reason I can't download emoticons so I am reduced to copying and pasting yours.

 

   

 

 

if the bed moves in,jim will have to move out.