Falling can be avoided with proper training

By KATHERINE HOBY

Education is at hand to stop injury-causing falls by the elderly. The New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists is promoting fall prevention on World Physiotherapy Day next Sunday.

A third of people aged over 65 and half of those over 80 fall at least once a year, often causing injuries which limit movement and the ability to live on their own.

And up to 90 per cent of falls in older adults are caused by weak leg muscles and poor balance. But society president Kirsten Davie said an individual at risk could regain balance, strength and co-ordination.

"We want to help people learn not to fall," she said.

Physiotherapists could use screening tools to assess balance, strength and co-ordination, then design programmes to help people strengthen muscles and improve balance.

She said factors contributing to the high rate of falls included problems with medications, low blood pressure, infections and poor eyesight. People should see their doctors about these matters.

"An injury, say to an ankle or knee, might leave people with reduced balance and prone to falling," Kirsten Davie said.

"We would like people to know that simple exercises can retrain their balance mechanisms."

As an important part of fall prevention for children, the society encourages parents to ensure their offspring have plenty of opportunities for physical playing.

nzherald.co.nz/health