How to Prevent Bone Fractures and Injuries From Falls

Updated 7/13/17 10:06am | Alert1 wants seniors everywhere to prevent brittle bones and live without bone fractures. Bones are the body’s support system, so it’s very important for seniors to take good care of them. As seniors age, they lose bone mass and the risk of broken bones increases.

Take care of your bones to keep them healthy before your support structure collapses. It’s never too late to start taking care of your bones and prevent injury from falls! Falls are the most common source of bone fractures in older adults. Luckily, there are a number of actions you can take to help strengthen your bones to help keep you safe from the injuries that often occur during falls.

Some of these actions include: eating proper foods, taking proper supplements, and using your fall detection medical alert. By preventing breaks and fractures in your bones, you can continue to stay mobile and independent, but most of all age in place.

• According to the CDC, most bone fractures in older adults are caused by falls.
• Falls cause over 95% of hip fractures, with other common injuries being fractures of the spine, hip, forearm, leg, ankle, pelvis, upper arm, and hand.
• These injuries often cause seniors to be unable to get up when they fall. Lying on the ground for extended periods of time exacerbates the injuries and is very dangerous. To prevent these bone injuries and falls, make use of the following tips in combination with a fall detection medical alert system.

The first step to bone health and injury prevention is to take care of your overall health. This starts with healthy senior meals.

• You should be eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Make sure you are eating enough protein and vitamins. This will help your bones strengthen.
• Protein is particularly important to keep bones strong, and many older adults do not get enough.

Calcium is a key factor for both the health and strengthening of a senior’s bones.

• The most common source is dairy products, whether that be yogurt, milk, or cheese. 
• If you don’t enjoy or have trouble digesting dairy products, make sure to take a daily supplement to reach your recommended levels.
• A study by the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research showed that seniors who got enough vitamin C reduced their risk of bone fractures by 50 percent. That means seniors can spend more time doing the activities they love!

Your calcium needs to come along with a healthy dose of vitamin D. Vitamin D is proven to reduce the rate of bone loss and reduce the risk of falling.

Vitamin D is what allows your body to absorb calcium. Don’t let all that calcium you’re taking go to waste! You can get your vitamin D levels up in multiple ways.

• Get sunlight. Take your daily walks outside to boost your vitamin D and lift your spirits. (But make sure to wear sunscreen too!) Caregivers should also monitor senior hydration levels and make sure they drink a lot of water before moving about.
• Eat foods with vitamin D. In addition to the sun, there are many yummy vitamin D rich foods, including fatty fish like salmon and canned tuna, and fortified foods such as some orange juices and cereals.
• Take supplements. It can be difficult to get the proper vitamin D required. Taking it as a supplement is often the easiest way to get your recommended levels.

• Have fun while improving your confidence, mobility and stability as well as reducing the risk of falls and bone fractures!
• The best exercises and activities are those that are high-impact and weight-bearing. That is, anything that makes you work against gravity.
• This can include walking, jogging, lifting weights, dancing, or playing sports. Remember, you either use it or lose it! Bones like repetitive bursts of high-intensity work to help stimulate the growth of new bone cells. Don't forget, keeping your bones mobile is also a way to strengthen them.

Unfortunately, even having healthy bones can’t prevent all falls. If you do fall, you need to get help fast. Lying on the floor for extended periods of time is not only very distressing but also dangerous.

You can prevent further bone injury by getting help quickly. However, especially if you have broken a bone, you might not be able to reach your home or cell phone.

A fall detection medical alert pendant is the perfect solution to get you the help you need when you fall. When you wear your help button in your home you will always have access to help. Here are just some of the great features Alert1's fall detection medical alert systems offer:

• Automatic fall detection. If you fall and cannot press the button, the help button will automatically contact the Alert1 Command Center for you.
• A US-based trained operator. An operator will come on the line via two-way voice communication to ask if you’re okay. Even if you can’t answer, we will send you the help you need based on your Circle of Care.
• Peace of mind. A help button that can detect when you fall will give you peace of mind.  We want you to live independently and without fear. With Alert1, you will be able to get help when you need it, 24/7.

Healthy bones won’t prevent you from falling, but having bones that are less likely to fracture means you can prevent the risk of serious injury, hospital stays, and even death.

In case you do fall, a fall detection medical alert system will allow you to quickly and easily get you the help you need.

Making these small changes to your diet and lifestyle will keep your bones happy and healthy. Your bones hold you up, don’t let them down!

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