The youtube video I watched would be very helpful for elderly people that are worried about falling. It was very informative about the risk of injury if a senior were to fall, as well as what to do to prevent it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GjKk7ZtJsE
There are long term effects with a bad fall for weak elders such as impaired mobility, decreased function, dependence on others, as well as injuries. One third of elderly people fall each year, and every hour someone dies from a bad fall. So there are plenty of reasons for an elder to see a physical therapist if worried about a fall. What a PT does in this situation is they do a balance assessment for the patient, and see what can be done to decrease the risk. There are different tests that can be done to assess stability and balance, as well as the qualities of gait mechanics that can result in a fall. Different things can be worked on as well as exercises that can definitely help.
There are questions that elders can ask themselves about if they've ever fallen, and the details beyond that as well as other impairments that they might have.
A physical therapist can assess the patient to see what exercises may help, which include leg strengthening exercises, coordination exercises, as well as balance exercises.
MoveforwardPT.com is the site for an elder to find a physical therapist.
I liked that this video showed what to do for seniors with or without physical problems, because even those who don't still need some physical therapy at times, and it's a smart idea to seek one out because they're very helpful to their patients. Also the video shows the PT helping an old woman, and it's pretty cool to see how friendly and encouraging they are to their patients.
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