Inklings: Please – Don’t fall! | Columnists | Summerville Journal Scene

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Inklings: Please – Don’t fall!

Published Thursday, September 02, 2010 2:12 PM

By Barbara Lynch Hill
Summerville Journal Scene ®

It can happen to anybody. I’m an established lifelong klutz who’s taken innumerable tumbles. My husband is agile and athletic, but even he can go down unexpectedly. We’ve each had one of these experiences recently, prompting me to write about undignified descents.

On the klutz side, I was getting out of my car, both arms full. I used my shoulder to shove the door shut. Then realized my purse was on the seat. Leaning in to get it, the closing door struck my (thankfully) hard noggin on the way to locking. The blow knocked me to my knees (both semi-new) and palms (now both semi-old). I had the car keys, but no cell phone and nothing to pull myself up with to unlock the car. Naturally it was raining so the car was wet and slick. Nobody was outside on our cul-de-sac to help. I couldn’t stand. When I stopped seeing stars I crawled across the front yard in my best pants suit, pulled up on a fence post, limped back to retrieve my belongings and went inside to apply bandages and ice to the bumps.

Jim was simply hanging a brim-full humming bird feeder. Well, he was simply unhanging one feeder, which leaked, and attempting to hang the new one in the same place. While trying to balance both and trying to decide where he could put one down, he tripped over a piece of pipe leading to the pool and slammed down on the pool deck, shattering the feeder in the process. I applied bandages and this time the ice went into two glasses!

We don’t expect these mishaps. That’s why they call them accidents! We get distracted. We may also have just been quietly aging in the background and our reflexes, muscles and bones aren’t quite as strong as they once were.

From my own experience I have two major suggestions to help prevent falls, one of which we both violated. First, ALWAYS leave one arm free while moving around, especially when carrying things. If you are knocked off balance or falter, you have a much better chance of protecting yourself if you have one hand available to grab onto something. Never mind if you have to make multiple trips. Make them!

Second, NEVER travel without pool shoes. These rubber soled beauties are readily available, take up little room in a suitcase and can be donned to get into showers or tubs in motels or visiting homes which may not be equipped with non-slip devices. These have saved me from many a bathroom slither.

The internet yields bountiful suggestions for preventing falls. Here are some of the most mentioned ways to help thwart same: stay as healthy as possible, taking your meds on schedule, including vitamins; exercise to keep muscles and bones strong; remove clutter, especially electrical and telephone cords; install handrails on ALL stairways and grab bars and non-slip mats in tubs and showers; use good lighting, including night lights; wear non-skid shoes; watch out for tripable pets; stay off unstable stools or unsteady ladders; have your eyes checked regularly – and keep them both wide open!

Falling anytime can be painful, but when you’re AARP eligible, it can really mess up those golden years. Nobody wants that!.

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104 East Doty Avenue | Summerville, SC 29483 | 843-873-9424 office | 843-873-9432 fax