How to Fall to Minimize Injury

Falling poses the highest risk of non-illness-related injury to seniors, both inside and outside of the house. While there are certain strategies elderly folks can employ to prevent falls, they are not completely avoidable. As a result, it is important to learn how to fall correctly. Falling the “right” way can limit body impact, minimize injury, and potentially save your life.

While learning to fall is an important part of every senior’s life, you should never leave your medical health to chance. It is almost always possible to lessen the impact of a fall, but it is impossible to prevent them altogether. If you’re looking for emergency medical support, consider any of the medical alert systems available from Alert1. Our prices are well below Life Alert costs, and with added fall detection, you can feel good knowing you’re safe in the case of an accident.

The AARP has a helpful guide for teaching yourself or a senior friend to fall. We’ve distilled this information below to bring you a step-by-step guide for how to fall.

1. Stay loose – People panic when they fall. In most cases, your reflex will be to become rigid. Unfortunately, this can cause additional injury, as rigidity does not allow your body to react to the hard floor when it hits. To stay loose, keep your arms and legs slightly bent as you fall.
   
2. Prioritize your head – Remember to protect your head above all else. If you’re falling forward, this means turning your face to the side to minimize impact. If you fall backwards, tuck your chin into your chest. This will prevent it from hitting the ground.
3. Fall to the side – Often, the thighs and buttocks are the softest, most cushioned parts of the body. If you’re falling, try to land on these body parts. If you keep your elbows bent and try to land on muscle, rather than bone, you will be less likely to suffer a break or other serious injury.
4. Don’t stop – Most people’s instinct will be to stop the body from falling as quickly as possible. However, a sudden stop can both cause injury and exacerbate any harm that has already occurred. If you can, continue rolling as much as possible. This will also help to spread the impact across a larger part of your body.

While learning to fall safely is easy, you can never completely erase your risk of injury. As a means of providing additional emergency support, consider investing in a medical alert system. This device can allow you to access help if your fall is dangerous or otherwise debilitating. Plus, several medical alert systems from Alert1 come equipped with fall detection. You won’t need to push the button to receive medical help. Instead, the device will sense your fall and immediately contact an operator. Even if the fall is not dangerous, the medical alert system will still help to ensure you are okay.