Considering that falls are a leading cause of brain injury, it helps to have some awareness of it. Mary Bradshaw, an elderly woman, says that she remembers well the first time that she had fallen. It happened while she visited Costco. She stood near a women who handed out food samples, and after that, she does not remember much. Bradshaw says that she began screaming, and she scared the other woman. As she lay in her room at the Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation, several Costco bosses stood over her. After falling at Costco, it kept happening. In a single week, Bradshaw fell five different times. Because she fell so many times, she told the paramedic they would soon become best friends. The same people kept picking her up. Bradshaw, a senior in her later 70s, remembers the encounter vividly, but tears start to form after speaking about the frustration with her inability to stand. The last time Bradshaw fell, she hit the bathtub so hard that she fractured a knee and arm. …show more content…
According to individuals who work with the elderly, aging affects a person's sense of balance. The cerebellum in the brain begins to deteriorate, which leads to lost coordination. In addition, seniors have slower reflexes, and that cannot respond as fast on an uneven surface. Poorer eyesight and medication can also lead to increased falls. What can you do to reduce the risk of falling? First, turn on the lights where you see obstacles. If you have an electrical cord or rug that slides, remove it before it leads to an accident. If you have medications that make you drowsy, speak with your doctor about lowering the