My Grandpa used to tell me that the falling is easy…but when you get older, it’s the getting up that hurts the most. And now as I’ve moved into that over 50 age bracket, all I can say is, “um, yeah!” Regardless, I don’t want to stop doing the things I love around the house or when traveling just because I’m afraid to fall, right? Instead, take a look at these ways to avoid falls after 50.
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Ways to Avoid Falls After 50 When Traveling or at Home
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It’s fair to say that having an accident when you’re 20 and experiencing one after 50 are two very different things. Your body changes once you age — cuz it ain’t what it used to be. This means that suffering a break or something similar becomes a completely different experience.
Be prepared for the issues that you may face to ensure that you don’t make any mistakes. Getting things wrong could impact your quality of life and ultimately lead to you needing to spend a lot of time in the hospital. And no one wants to spend their precious vacation time in the hospital, so let’s look at some of the important factors to consider.
Start with these tips to stay healthy after 50 at home and when traveling.
Falls After 50 Might Turn into a Long Recovery
This is perhaps the first important factor to be aware of if you have a fall when you’re over fifty.
First, it’s likely to be more serious than if you fall at twenty. At an early age, your body is fairly resilient and can withstand the odd bump or hit.
But as you get older, it’s far more likely that bones are going to break and there are going to be other complications. Your bones aren’t as strong as they once were.
That’s why if you do experience a fall later in life, you should be getting support from a doctor or a health professional. They will ensure that you get the treatment you need and that you don’t have to worry about bones healing the wrong way. Be prepared for them to want to take x-rays as well.
This also means that you’re looking at a longer recovery time. Instead of a couple of weeks, you could be looking at a couple of months at least.
It’s important to be prepared for this and ensure that you have the right level of support in place. Yes, you should be thinking in terms of medicine and regular trips to the doctors. It’s important to check that your bones and joints are healing the right way.
Were You To Blame?
If you have a fall in your own home, then there’s a good chance that no one is liable. Unless of course, you have recently completed renovation work and then the builder might be at fault for shoddy work.
If on the other hand, you have a fall outside your home and when you’re traveling, there’s a good chance that someone, somewhere will be liable. Now, you might not be that concerned about this for a few reasons.
First, you might get up immediately with no pain at all. But it’s worth noting that pain is a funny thing. It can occur right away or it can take weeks or months to show up. It can also get gradually worse over time which is again why you should be getting it checked out as soon as possible.
What is the Cause of the Injury?
You do need to think about the cause of the accident. Did your body fail you or did you fail your body? It’s possible that it’s going to the former. If that’s the case, it’s even possible your hearing could have played a role in your injury.
When you get older, your hearing can deteriorate. This can occur naturally without any help from you. So don’t assume you’re safe from hearing loss if you listen to music at an average volume. This probably isn’t true and hearing loss becomes more likely as you age.
If you do suffer from hearing loss, then there’s the possibility that your balance could be impacted too. A problem with your inner ear can impact balance and this could be why you slipped over on your ankle climbing the stairs. As such, if you do have a fall and you’re not sure of the cause, it might be worth speaking to an audiologist. This can help ensure that you get the treatment that you could desperately need.
This will usually take the form of hearing aids and you shouldn’t shy away from this possibility. Modern hearing aids, like the ones from Ziphearing, can dramatically improve your quality of life and ensure that you do get the support you need.
Don’t forget, issues with hearing can make cognitive problems more likely and this does include things like dementia. As such, it’s well worth getting this checked out sooner rather than later.
How to Avoid Falls When Traveling or at Home?
If you have a fall in your own home, then there’s a good chance that no one is liable. Unless of course, you have recently completed renovation work and then the builder could be at fault for shoddy work. If on the other hand, you have a fall outside your home while traveling, there’s a good chance that someone, somewhere will be liable. Now, you might not be that concerned about this for a few reasons.
First, you might get up straight away and feel fine with no pain at all. It’s worth noting that pain is a funny thing. It can occur straight away or it can take weeks or months to show up. It can also get gradually worse over time which is again why you should be getting it checked out as soon as possible.
The other reason is that you may not want to be a money grabber. But, you have to think about this practically and realistically. Ultimately, even a minor injury can lead to heavy medical bills and costs for treatment.
As such, speaking to an attorney about liability could be a necessity. According to Hupy and Abraham, individuals are often completely unaware that they have a right to this type of compensation. Instead, they end up paying for the full cost of their injuries. Long term injuries can even mean that you will need to make significant changes to your home. You don’t want to have to pay for this out of your own pocket.
Other Ways to Avoid Falls after 50
When traveling be sure to get plenty of sleep, before departure, during your vacation, and once you arrive at home. One way to get plenty of rest when traveling is to make sure you have the best travel pillow.
Read these 5 tips to travel in comfort and these 6 tips to stay healthy when traveling.
