According to statistics from the Orthopedics Department of Huaxian New District Hospital, the number of elderly patients who come to the hospital for treatment due to fractures caused by falls has significantly increased since the beginning of winter. Due to the increase in rain and snow in winter, the road surface is wet and slippery, and elderly people wear bulky clothes and have difficulty moving, resulting in frequent falls among the elderly. Director Ming Liyang of the Orthopedics Department introduced that fractures in the elderly can easily worsen underlying diseases. If the fractures are severe and the bed rest time is long, it may also cause complications such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and pressure ulcers. Therefore, it is very important to prevent falls well. The occurrence of falls in the elderly is not an accident, but due to many potential risk factors that we overlook in our daily lives. We can reduce the incidence of falls in the elderly through prevention and control!
1、 How to prevent falls in the elderly
Scientific exercise can help reduce the risk of falls and fractures in the elderly. When exercising, elderly people should pay attention to strengthening their balance ability, muscle strength, endurance and other functional exercises while ensuring safety. For example, exercises such as Tai Chi and Baduanjin can be performed.
Daily precautions
Elderly people should try to minimize going out in rainy and snowy weather. When elderly people go out, they should slow down their walking speed, wear non slip shoes, avoid putting their hands in pockets, and use a cane if necessary. Choose a road section with flat ground, few obstacles, handrails, and good lighting for walking. Pay special attention to walking slowly and steadily when going up and down stairs, rolling stairs, and steps.
Health education
Carry out educational work, cultivate the awareness of preventing falls among the elderly, and develop safe travel habits. When traveling, pay attention to whether the ground is wet and slippery, whether there are bumps, steps, slopes, obstacles, and try to choose routes that are barrier free, non slippery, and have good lighting.
2、 The treatment of elderly people after falling
Keep calm and not panic. Don't rush to get up, first judge for yourself whether there is any injury, the location and extent of the injury, and whether you can stand up on your own.
If you are unable to stand up, do not force yourself to stand up; You can seek help by shouting loudly, making phone calls, knocking on items such as doors, floors, pipes, etc., but be careful to maintain physical strength. During the waiting period for assistance, mats, clothing, bed sheets, etc. can be used to keep warm.
If the injury is not serious, it can be judged that you can stand up on your own. First, you should change your body to a prone position and use the support around you to slowly stand up. Do not blindly stand up suddenly to avoid aggravating the injury. After getting up, take a short rest and recover some physical strength before seeking rescue or treatment.
Regardless of whether you are injured or not after falling, you should inform your family, go to the hospital for treatment, and undergo further examination according to the situation. Otherwise, if there is a fracture, treatment may be delayed.