Understanding the Loss of Balance in Seniors

By Care Street Home Care Staff | September 8, 2023 | Comments Off on Understanding the Loss of Balance in Seniors
24-Hour Home Care in Manalapan NJ

24-Hour Home Care in Manalapan NJ

Seniors often lose their ability to find their balance, significantly affecting their general health and quality of life. Balance is a complicated mix of what their senses tell them, how strong their muscles are, how flexible their joints are, and how well their brain works. These things can change as people age, making it harder to keep their balance. To give seniors the support they need and understand what causes loss of balance, they must have a strong support system, including loved ones and 24-hour home care. Continue reading to learn more.

  • Muscle Weakness: As people age, their muscle mass and power tend to decrease. Weak muscles can make it hard to stay stable and correct body weight changes, making it more likely that you will stumble or fall.
  • Less Flexible Joints: As people age, their joints tend to get tighter, which makes it harder to move. This also makes it harder to change their stance and react quickly to sudden changes in position, throwing off their balance.
  • Sensory Changes: Seeing, hearing, and knowing where the body is in space (proprioception) are essential to balance. For seniors, changes in how their eyes and inner ears work as they age can make it hard to see the world clearly and keep your balance.
  • Neurological Factors: The brain is vital for processing sensory information and coordinating action. With age, cognitive processing speed and motor control can slow down. This can make it harder to respond quickly to changes in balance.
  • Chronic Health Conditions: Some long-term health problems, like arthritis, osteoporosis, and diabetes, can make it hard to stay balanced because they affect how stable the joints are, how dense the bones are, and how well the nerves work. With 24-hour home care, seniors gain support to help monitor these conditions and ensure they maintain their balance.
  • Medication Management: Many seniors take multiple medications, and some of those medications can have side effects that make it hard to keep their balance. With 24-hour home care, it becomes easier to notice a pattern of issues and side effects.
  • Lack of Physical Activity: Living a sedentary life can make muscles weaker and less flexible, which can cause balance problems even worse. This is another way that 24-hour home care can help, as aides can encourage seniors to get up and move around or even exercise with them.

Falling is a big problem for seniors because it can cause broken bones, head injuries, and other major issues. Fear of falling can also make people less active and cut them off from others, hurting their mental and physical health. For this reason, seniors worry a lot about losing their balance. Still, by taking care of their health, getting medical care, and making changes to their surroundings, they can reduce the risks and keep their independence and quality of life. With the help of loved ones and 24-hour home care, the ability to make the appropriate changes is increased. Additionally, the team can talk with the medical team if they have concerns or questions.

Sources:
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/older-adults-and-balance-problems
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/what-causes-balance-issues-in-older-adults
https://www.nutrisense.io/blog/why-older-people-experience-loss-of-balance

If you or an aging loved one is considering 24-hour home care in Manalapan, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.

Care Street Home Care Staff
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