Sense of Balance

Fall prevention is one of our most popular workshops, and for good reason, falling kills more women than breast cancer. This is scary, and we recognize the danger of falls as we get older.

One in three adults over age 65 takes a serious tumble each year. Avoiding falls may mean a longer life: About 20% of women who fracture a hip become permanently disabled, and another 20% die within a year

One way to prevent falls is to work on our sense of balance. A sense of stability doesn't just help protect you from future falls. There are immediate health benefits that can help us stay healthier because we are more inclined to exercise as we no longer fear losing our balance and falling.

We are often unaware that our sense of coordination is slipping. Coordination is a complex skill that requires good balance, but also good levels of other fitness components such as strength and agility.

When we were young, we were able to very easily (for many, not all) move and use our bodies effectively. My grandson is a person who can use his body effectively when he does his double front flips on his trampoline. 

As we age, we have to work harder to keep our sense of balance and to keep our coordination. There are two types of balance: static and dynamic. Static balance is maintaining equilibrium when stationary, while dynamic balance is maintaining equilibrium when moving. We use our eyes, ears and 'body sense' to help retain our balance. The good news is that both balance and coordination can be improved through practice and training. By keeping good balance and coordination we can prevent our risk of falling.

Do you take care of your grandchildren?

I have a friend that spends an inordinate, I think, time looking after is grandchildren not just from one of his children but both of them. He does not complain but sometimes he says he is tired and doesn’t know why. He attributes it to be older and to not being in good shape. I think it is from being around very young children without a break. My brother and sister-in-law raised their granddaughter and now are helping out by looking after their great-grandchildren. They are not alone, according to the latest information. There is a large number of grandparents who are the primary caregiver of their grandchildren.

These grandparents who raise their grandchildren, or who play a crucial role in the care and education of their grandchildren, are sometimes faced with problems such as burnout, stress, anxiety and depression. I am not sure if my friend is suffering from stress, anxiety or depression, but I think he is burning out.

According to Statistics Canada, it is estimated that almost 50% of Canadians aged 45 and over are grandparents. Almost 8% of those live with their grandchildren in a shared household. But it is not a Canadian phenomenon. It is estimated that almost 2.7 million grandparents were the primary caregivers of their grandchildren in the United States. In Australia, more than 25% of children under the age of 12 receive regular care from their grandparents. In China, the massive migration of parents to urban centres means that more than 25% of children live with their grandparents in rural areas.

I love my grandchild and believe that being part and helping to care for your grandchildren can be one of the most rewarding experiences. This is because you are able to be much more closely connected to your grandchildren's world, and providing them with stability, safety, wisdom, and love. However, some grandparents (as many other caregivers) may face challenges such as burnout, stress, anxiety and depression

Falls can be prevented with the right gift

According to the New York Times, “Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. Every 19 minutes in this country, an older person dies from a fall”.

To be sure, nearly everyone falls now and then, and some falls are unavoidable. But falling is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. Most age-related falls are preventable once you know why they happen and take steps to minimize the risk for yourself, relatives and friends whose age or health status renders them especially vulnerable.

Our love and protection is the greatest gift we can give those we care about. So, for the next birthday of a senior you love, here are some ideas from the Fall Prevention Community of Practice that may help prevent falls.

For Older Adults, here are some select gifts which help prevent unintentional falls

·      offer to do household chores that require lifting, reaching or using a ladder

·      offer to do or have someone else do a home safety assessment

·      offer to accompany the person for a medication assessment with a pharmacist or physician

·      offer to create a list of emergency phone numbers in large print and have it laminated – include grocery stores/restaurants/pharmacies that deliver

·      nightlights

·      cordless telephones

·      personal emergency/protection alarm

·      grip bars for the bathtub and toilet

·      small clothes baskets or carriers which avoid awkwardness and imbalance

·      non-alcoholic beverages for holiday celebrations

·      specialty safety items from your pharmacy or therapy retailer (such as a hand gripper for reaching high places)

·      a pill dispenser from your pharmacy and a free medication record book from the Public Health Unit to promote the safe use of medications

·      firm slippers with a non-slip sole

·      boots with a good grip on the soles

·      gift certificates for sturdy walking shoes and snowshoes

·      warm and comfortable outer clothing

·      housecoats short enough to prevent tripping

·      hip protectors

·      portable power switches for turning on lights or electronic items from 30 feet away

·      nutrition supplements (meal replacements)

For the Home, here are some select GIFTS which protect everyone in the home

·      smoke detectors or batteries for the smoke detector

·      carbon monoxide monitors

·      fire extinguishers (talk to your insurance agent)

·      safe and sturdy step stools or ladders

·      repair of any wobbly furniture

·      bathmats or adhesives to avoid slipping in the tub

·      floor mats with safe backing for outside the tub to absorb moisture and prevent falling

·      bright light bulbs

·      replacement of any electrical appliances that need a new cord or plug

·      welcome mats and large indoor mats or trays to absorb moisture from wet boots

·      large print clocks and watches

·      cosmetic bags with attachable handles to attach to walkers and wheelchairs to carry personal items

Finally here are some gift ideas that can also help to prevent injuries for caregivers

·      Temporary poles/grab bars to assist the client in and out of bed and on and off the toilet

·      Offer to give the caregiver time off by caring for the loved one

·      Take food, gifts, items that are enjoyable for the caregiver

·      Tell the caregiver (often) how much their care is appreciated!

·      Connect the caregivers to websites where others are having similar experiences

·    ElderCaring.ca(Canadian)

·    AgingCare.com (American)

All slang is a metaphor, and all metaphor is poetry

All slang is a metaphor, and all metaphor is poetry. G. K. Chesterton, Defendant (1901)

Slang changes as young people define their own metaphors for life and the times we are in helps define the story of our life as well. Today we are living in a "new normal". In 1918 -1919 our grandparents lived in a "new normal". Each generation lives in a new normal as society changes around us. In the great war, in the Pandemic that followed changed society, but no one, at that time, said people will have to die to keep the economy going. That statement is so sad and I feel sorry for the people that think that way. The poetry of their life must be dark and dreary. 

However, my hope is that for the rest of us the poetry of life is full of life. I recognize that for the young the poetry of their life is not the same as for the Boomers, nor is our poetry of life the same as our Seniors.

How do you define the poetry of your life? What metaphors do you use to define your world, to build the paradigm in which you shape your view of the world? I think we Boomers have worked hard to define the slang that defined our world, the metaphors that create our poetry, and in my mind how we view the world. 

Everyone has different metaphors that help them define their world, but the Boomers have shared some common history that has helped define us. We watched as man landed on the moon for the first time, we huddled under desks as we prepared for nuclear war, we believed that we would not live into our 30's because the Americans and the Russians would start the war that would destroy the world. We watched the American Dream unravel as President Kennedy was assassinated, and most of us saw the horror of war on TV as we watched young men our age, fighting in a foreign land, that we knew nothing about. We wrestled with these and other problems,  Billy Joel in his wonderful song "We didn't start the fire" gives a brief outline of the history of our times and I think shows the forces that helped the Boomers develop the slang to create the metaphors of our life.

Each one of us reacted to the events of our lives and in the process, created the poetry of our lives, which we passed on to our children, who created their own poetry and metaphors for life--shaped, we hope, by our experiences. The nice thing about being a grandparent is we should try to understand the poetry and metaphors of our lives and pass these metaphors on to our grandchildren, so our children can dream and change the metaphors and poetry of their lives so that the dream of a positive future can live again.