7 Dangerous Fall Triggers for Seniors 65

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April 2025. For the original video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i9L0lPjRJ8

Brad: Falls are a really big risk as we age. It gets worse, and it's a real problem. We need to avoid them at all costs.

Mike: Statistically, in the US, people over 65 more frequently die from falls than automobile accidents.

Brad: That's right, and what we're going to do is give you the top seven reasons why people fall and then advice on how to avoid it, so that your fall risk becomes as low as possible. What I would like you to do, this is a little old-fashioned, but this is for people my age or older. Get a piece of paper and a pen or pencil out, and then we're going to go through seven reasons, check off the ones that pertain to you so that you have a good, clear idea of how you can make your life better with less risk for falls. All right.

Mike: Reason number one is if you have previous falls, this may seem obvious, but if you have two or more falls in one month, you definitely are at higher risk of falling continuously, and things like physical therapy can actually help.

Brad: That's right, and it's a good option, and it works quite well. We know from experience. Number two, if you're of advanced age, this one's a little vague. Some people, I would estimate 75 or older, balance and strength are two things that inherently decrease as we age every decade. There are studies on that. So, you know, if you are over 65, 75, or more than that, your balance is definitely decreasing, as well as your strength, unless you're very adamant about working with it.

Mike: Number three is just generalized weakness. The weaker you are, the more likely you are to fall. If you're not sure how strong or weak you are, just look at an example of getting out of a chair. Can you do it easily with no hands and do it on the first try, or does it take you several attempts to get up, or maybe you can't even sit on a low couch anymore?

Brad: There.

Mike: Things like physical therapy or just general strength training can definitely help with that.

Brad: That's right. Actually, we have a number of really good videos titled Getting Stronger at an Older Age, and you'll find a number of videos that are good for at-home improvement you could do on your own.

Mike: You're number four.

Brad: Oh, yes. All right. Noticeable gait and balance issues. In other words, you find yourself losing your balance. You know, just inherently loss of balance. I know I've had that myself a couple of times. Makes me really wonder, but the other thing is gait problems. Do you notice sometimes that your foot or your toe catches as you swing through? That's called toe drag, or it could be from foot drop, or you're unable to lift your toes up on one leg or the other. If you have things like that, you should see your doctor, and then the doctor will probably refer you to physical therapy, and there's a number of things that we can work with you on to correct those problems and keep you safe.

Mike: Some other things like that, maybe if you have a more hunched-over, we call it kyphotic posture, this can throw off your center of gravity and also impair how well you can see forward because you're constantly looking at your feet, so things like that are something you would want to correct.

Brad: Right.

Mike: Now, number five.

Brad: Wait, what about the slow gait?

Mike: Whoa, we talked about that a little bit.

Brad: There are actually studies; if you naturally have a slow gait and you realize it's gotten really slow over time, that is actually a high predictor of falls.

Mike: Yes, because you don't feel as safe moving faster. Anyway, number five is poor vision. Obviously, if you take away your sight, just do anything without your eyes, everything becomes harder and more challenging, so if you can't see, well, it's time to go get some glasses, so go see an optometrist for that because we can't help you much with that.

Brad: Right, exactly. That can make a huge difference in your balance, walking, and confidence with that. The next thing is orthostatic hypotension, which is?

Mike: Low blood pressure.

Brad: Yes.

Mike: Now, you may not have low blood pressure when seated, but oftentimes when people go from lying down to seated to standing, their blood pressure can drop dramatically, making them feel very lightheaded and dizzy, and sometimes they just pass out.

Brad: Right, right, so I have a friend; he says, "I get dizzy when I stand up," or he gets dizzy when he gets out of his bed. He's 65 years old. No other symptoms, and it's like, that's a red flag. Make sure you monitor that. You're probably having low blood pressure drops. Some people have low blood pressure all the time, and that's something that medication may need to be administered to get the blood pressure up. Low blood pressure is a problem, just like high blood pressure.

Mike: Now, another serious medical condition that can also affect this is called vertigo, so if you get dizziness, the room is spinning, and your blood pressure's okay, you may want to get checked for vertigo symptoms, things like physical therapy. There are specialists who work with this and are trained in certified that can help you with this.

Brad: That's right. Simple things like just turning your head in one direction can make the room spin. Big problem, but oftentimes it can be corrected with physical therapy and a simple treatment or so, so get it checked out. There are ways to correct it.

Mike: Now, number seven and the last tip may seem silly to some, but I think it pertains to if you've had falls in the past, or if you actually have a fear of falling, so you are much more cautious with even doing anything like walking or challenging your balance in any sort of way.

Brad: Right, if you're afraid of falling, which makes you get up and move less, then you can become weaker and actually increase your fall risk more, so it's kind of one of those compounding situations.

Mike: Now, if you feel like you're going to fall and you use no type of assistive device, simply using something like a cane or walker with four wheels or two wheels can make a huge difference and can keep you walking for longer in your life.

Brad: That's right, and we all know, as therapists, a lot of people are apprehensive. "I'm not gonna use a walker or cane. That's going to make me look older." Well, you get used to it, and if you don't fall- because if you fall, it's a big problem. It really can change your life.

Mike: We should mention you can use walking sticks, as well. Those are a bit trendy.

Brad: Yeah, there you go. We've got a couple right over here. So anything else?

Mike: I think we hit everything, but as always, make sure to work with a trained professional, whether it's physical therapy or your doctor, to help get these issues sorted, and if you have more than one of these issues, you're more likely to fall.

Brad: That's right, and actually what we did is we picked out another video that can help you out. It's called "25-Second Balance Exercises That Stop Falls," and there's a PDF printout with the exercises so that you can do that. You don't have to look at the video. Some people prefer that.

Mike: I think Bob's in that video.

Brad: Yeah, Bob's in that one. He's using some, which one is with vision.

Mike: Yes.

Brad: And whatnot, and that's one that is oftentimes forgotten. So yeah, check it out.

Mike: Now we should mention that we can fix most things except for-

Brad: No, just about anything, except for-

Mike: Oh, I'm sorry, I screwed up the old line. A broken heart. There we go.

Brad: There you go, but we're working on it.

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