• Start exercise to help balance and gait (a way of walking or moving on foot) as well as strength training. This can be accomplished through Tai Chi, yoga, Qui gong or physical therapy.
• Safety measures in the home. We can lower the chances of falling at home and in daily tasks through a number of simple measures including taking up throw rugs that can slip or move, making sure carpet edges do not trip anyone, remove partially hidden obstacles, hand railing in and out of the shower or tube, in long narrow hallways or at steps up or down where no handrail is already present. Add adequate lighting where it may be too dark to be safe.
• Have cataract tended to appropriately, surgery if needed, proper eye ware to correct for astigmatism.
• Reducing medications, especially those that affect the brain such as sleeping medications and antidepressants, tranquilizers, blood pressure or other medications that can make the individual sleepy, weak or clumsy.
• Raise low blood pressure and managing heart rate and rhythm abnormalities, if these are a problem.

Experience has taught people in this field that preventing falls in older people often requires multiple interventions rather than simply changing one thing. Fix what needs to be fixed and prevent falling. Falling can lead to more than superficial injuries such as lacerations with bleeding and pain. They can also lead to potentially life threatening problems such as hip, arm and leg fractures, fractured ribs or vertebrae, concussion, subdural hematomas and skull fractures. Each year thousands of men and women die needlessly from accidents which could have been prevented, if only someone cared and done so, before the accident occurred.

For more information regarding using Tai Chi to reduce falls, click here.