Springing Forward for Senior Safety

Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about preventing senior falls, now that spring has come and everyone's heading outdoors. Suzanne shares a story of a senior whose walker go stuck in some overgrown vines in her yard, and when she tried to force it free, she fell and was stuck lying on the ground for more than two hours until a meter reader happened by who helped her. They discuss making sure your shoes have good soles, and to watch out for ground that might have changed over the winter. Dr. Shawn says, "The right shoes aren't just about wanting to look good and [match your] outfit. If you have the right shoes, they can keep you out of the emergency room. [When you want] to go out onto the sidewalk, things can still be slippery. You still have overgrowth, leaves, rain. You need to really take inventory of proper footwear. Make sure they have good traction, shoes that have Velcro or the laces that are already set, so that you don't run that risk of tripping. You want your foot held securely in the shoe. Adaptive footwear is also a great option if you experience swelling, or bunions, or have balance issues, they make some great products."In May, Dr. Shawn will be hosting "Stand Up, Keep Up," a two-session Zoom course covering not only steps for fall prevention, extrinsic and intrinsic factors, but also digging deeper to find the root causes of why they might be at a high fall risk. Answers for Elders viewers and listeners can get special pricing. Click here for more information or to register.Visit Rockstar Seniors.net to learn more or to set up a free discovery call with Dr. Shawn Weiss to get answers to any questions or concerns. Hear more podcasts by Dr. Shawn here.Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementLegacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate Planning