10/12/2020
8 Things to Have your Doctor Check After an Aging Person Falls
From BetterHealthWhileAging.com and Written by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH
By: Matthew McDonnell
https://betterhealthwhileaging.net/8-things-to-check-after-fall-in-aging/
Dr. Kernisan stats in her article that one major way of preventing falls in our aging community is to be proactive about getting the right kind of medical assessment after a fall.
The three major reasons behind this are.
1. A fall can be a sign of a new and serious medical problem. For example, a fall can be caused due to physical weakness brought upon by dehydration or malnutrition, were a simple change in diet can fix this. Or be brought upon by something more serious, such as a urinary tract infection.
2. Older adults who have fallen are at higher risk for a future fall.
3. Busy Doctors may not be thorough unless caregivers are proactive about asking questions. Doctors are well intentioned and do care for their patients, but they work a busy career and it is common to not follow up with proper questions and recommendations. So, it is up to the elderly patient and their caregiver to be forth coming with all information, even if it doesn’t seem important, and follow through with questions to confirm nothing is overlooked.
Dr. Kernisan noted that it is all to common for medical visits, after a fall, are mainly about addressing any injuries that the patient suffered from the fall. This is important but does nothing to help prevent future falls.
Here is 8 Things the Doctors should Check after a Fall
1. An Assessment for Underlying new Illness. Any new health problem that makes an older person weak, can bring on a fall.
a. Urinary Tract infection
b. Dehydration
c. Anemia
d. Pneumonia
e. Heart Problems
f. Strokes
2. A blood pressure and pulse reading when sitting and when standing. Drops in blood pressure and pulse when moving from sitting to standing can cause dizziness, light-headedness and fainting which can lead to falls.
Have the Doctor confirm that they are not taking medications that can experience a drop in blood pressure.
3. Blood tests. Doing a simple blood test can be of immense benefit to an elderly patient, falls can be worsened by problems with their blood count or by their blood sodium levels being too low or high. A blood test can show this
Ask the doctor to explain any abnormalities found in the blood work, even if they are not related to what caused the fall.
4. Medications review. Many older adults take a variety of medications and vitamins that can increase their fall risk. Here is a list of medication that you should discuss with your doctor.
a. Any sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medications.
b. Blood Pressure and diabetes medications. It is not uncommon for older adults to be over-treated for diabetes and blood pressure, meaning that they are taking a level of medication that causes their blood pressure, or blood sugar, to be lower than is really necessary for ideal health.
c. Anticholinergic Medications. These are medications for allergies, overactive bladder, vertigo, nausea, and certain types of antidepressants. These all have an effect on one’s balance and thinking.
d. Op**te pain medications.
5. Gait and Balance. A gait assessment is simply having a doctor watch how an elderly patient walks and determines if they are walking in a manner that increase falls.
Here is a list to increase balance.
a. Address any pain or discomfort. Many older people are reacting to pain in their feet, back, or joints.
b. Consider a physical therapy referral for gain and balance. A physical therapist can often recommend suitable strengthening exercises, and also help fit the older person for an assistive device, such as a walker.
6. Vitamin D level. We know that low vitamin D levels can contribute to fragile bones, but did you know that it can also be associated to falls? If an elderly individual spends a large amount of time indoors and doesn’t get their daily vitamin D levels taking an 800-1000 IU of vitamin D can help with obtaining the proper amount of Vitamin D.
7. Evaluation for underlying heart conditions or neurological conditions. These are chronic conditions that are often overlooked after a fall due to the focus on acute types of illnesses most commonly associated with falls.
These tests need to take priority once you have already minimized risky medications and over-treatment of high blood pressure, two of the most common causes of balance issues.
8. Vision, podiatry, and home safety referrals. It is good to discuss with an elderly patient about additional services they can have to help reduce fall exposure.
Kernisan recommends a home safety evaluation, if available in your area. Vision checks are also excellent idea if they haven already had one recently.
Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH has put together a strong list of what to check after a fall incident. The main points to take from her list are to discuss with your medical professional about what caused the initial fall and how best to prevent it in the future.
The best way though for non-medically trained people to help is to insure that the elderly persons home is safe and hazard free. This can be done by reach out to New Serenity L.L.C. and requesting an in-home inspection and any additional services. (218) 512-0365
