Balance Control of Elderly Adults Essay

So to expand upon our community in Sawyer County, we provide Healthy Aging Programs. We recently hired a Health Promotions Coordinator who was trained in evidence based Stepping On for Balance. Along with and assistant, she is in the process of teaching their second class, which has been a huge success. As a seven week course, with the partnership of many professionals such as physical therapist, pharmacist, eye doctor and others people are learning ways to avoid the fear and possibility of falling, which will allow them to continue to live in their home longer and stay healthier.

Exercises and physical activity have been associated with numerous health benefits including reducing incidences of falls and injuries among the elderly and the geriatric population. Appropriately exercise programs and cardiovascular fitness in older people improve strength and balance. The interventions included strengthening, endurance, balance, flexibility exercises, Tai Chi, stand up/step down procedure and walking exercises. In the first research, the findings were that program targeting balance, leg strength, and freezing gait were only effective in people with milder illnesses, as opposed to more serious disorders like Parkinson’s disease. The study was done for a period of 2 years. In the second research, the findings showed that a multi-component enhanced physical performance of the community indwelling adults but did not translate to psychological outcomes or reduced rates of falling.

Since falls are a frequent obstruction to independent living among elderly persons, there has been a growing consciousness of the incidence of falls which has led to the development of a lot of community-based fall prevention programs for older adults. Yet, the potential impact of these programs is reduced by the lack of research on factors that may influence older persons' decisions to accept or reject fall prevention behaviors. In an exploratory descriptive study done by Aminzadeh & Edwards, (1998) a focus group approach was used to draw out qualitative data on seniors' views on the use of assistive devices in fall prevention. Four focus group interviews were carried out with a convenience sample of thirty community-living older adults in Ottawa, Canada. "The interviews documented

Cerangolu (2010) found that video games could enhance the therapeutic experience. They could help facilitate the therapeutic relationship as young people may be more willing to relate to a therapist that is ready to engage and understand their normal way of playing. Also sitting side by side rather than at the conventional “ten to two” setting also may make the young person relax. How the game is played can also reveal the young person cognitive style.

The functional independence measure (FIM) was utilized to identify patients who are at a high risk for fall and found that patients who fell had a lower admission and discharge FIM scores than the ones who had not fallen; they also found that those with lower FIM scores were stroke rehabilitation patient and had the highest rate of fall. FIM is defined as a measurement of disability specific to patients in rehabilitation; it has has 18 categories broken down into motor and cognitive components with each category scored on a scale of 1 for total dependence to 7 for total independence. The authors of the research article determined that FIM score have significance in predicting patients who are at a highest risk of falls and is more appropriate to aid in implementing interventions. With the above discovery, Salamon, Victory & Bobay (2012) undertook retrospective pilot study to compare the Morse Fall Scale scores and components of the FIM. The result from the pilot study yielded several important correlations between the Morse Fall Scale and the FIM scores. The study revealed that patient with cognitive impairments, and those with decreased ability to expressed needs are more likely to fall and no correlation with comprehension was found with the

Falls are highly common amongst the elderly, particularly those who lack mobility, are in hospital, or are living in a nursing home. When an elderly person falls, their activities of daily living may be impacted due to injuries sustained from the fall. It is essential that precautions are put in place to prevent falls in all settings. This essay will discuss the statistics surrounding falls, prevention strategies, and the impacts of a fall on a patient’s ability to complete activities of daily living.

Falling risks are increased in seniors with dementia, musculoskeletal disorders, neurologic conditions, vision and hearing loss, and those on multiple medications. Given this list, is it any wonder that more than 50

Several national and global campaigns already exist that provide tips and resources for fall prevention. However, statistics continue to demonstrate that falls continue to remain a serious problem in the elderly community. No one can argue that education is the best defense against falls. Nor can they argue that national efforts are not needed. Despite these national campaigns, falls

Balance, strength, and mobility are used in day to day for activity of daily living that are used by both independent and dependent adults. Mobility is defined as “the

It is a fact that senior citizens are aging, and living longer, but, are they living a prolific, relevant life? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d, para. 1), one out of every three older people falls each year and the direct medical costs for fall injuries are $34 billion annually. It is evident as one search through several governmental websites, that there is not enough of information for the different types of balance screenings for fall-prevention. As Americans, our priority is to preserve health and provide a meaningful life

Risk factors for falls are categorized by intrinsic or extrinsic (Tzeng, & Yin, 2009). According to Tzeng and Yin (2008), intrinsic factors, referring to the patient themselves, are related to their health status and possibly associated with age-related changes: previous falls, reduced vision, unsteady gait, musculoskeletal system deficits, mental status deficits, acute illness, and chronic illness. Extrinsic factors are involved in the patient’s environment, including medications, lack of support equipment, furniture, bathroom designs, small patient rooms, poor lighting, and improper use of and inadequate assistive devices. Tzeng & Yin (2008; 2009) focused on the extrinsic risk factors for the basis of their studies.

Impairments can contribute to an increased risk of falls at all stages following a stroke.2,5 As a result of these impairments, stroke has been classified as the most disabling chronic disease, with about 80% of individuals falling within the first three months from loss of balance when walking.2,5 In addition, approximately 70% of individuals who have had a stroke experience ongoing difficulty with ambulation within the first year.2 One research study revealed that patients post stroke have fall rates that range from 3.8 to 22%, and the incidence of falls range from 1.3 to 6.5 times in the year after the stroke.1 Furthermore, stroke has been identified as the primary cause of disability in the United States and the third leading cause of death in people over the age of

Active video games are also being marketed for adults. New Gaming companies have been turning their gaming systems into exercise machines (Recio 143). This new game keeps the player fit while watching television. One machine will incorporate a favorite show into an aerobic workout by broadcasting the selected show loud and clear during the exercise. Once the person starts to decrease their effort the volume will drop, and if they continue to decrease, the television will shut off leaving nothing to watch. This creates a good workout environment involving exercises and entertainment into a strict exercise agenda. Workout levels can range from heavy lifting or swimming (Recio 143). These workout levels are increasing stamina causing weight loss and health awareness. The new video machines can drastically change an adults workout routine.

In the future, you might need to put your bodies on the line in order to win a game with friends. You could even be able to provide physical feelings and emotions to other people through gaming. The possibilities are endless, although the trend needs some careful consideration in terms of accessibility – will everyone be able to take part in a highly physical gameplay?

Simulation, adventure, and role playing games are another type of video game that produces positive results in skill levels (Morgan 2003). Simulations games are widely used in training various areas: