{"id":6606,"date":"2018-03-26T15:53:42","date_gmt":"2018-03-26T15:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/?p=6606"},"modified":"2018-03-26T15:53:42","modified_gmt":"2018-03-26T15:53:42","slug":"fall-prevention-and-safety-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/fall-prevention-and-safety-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Prevention and Safety*"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that one in three adults over age 65 experiences a fall each year?\u00a0According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five of\u00a0those falls results in a serious injury, such as a broken bone or head injury and may\u00a0require hospitalization.<\/p>\n

As we get older, many factors can increase our risk of falling. Risk factors include balance problems,\u00a0leg weakness, dizziness, some medications, dehydration, and home hazards like floor clutter, throw\u00a0rugs or a broken stair. Often times, it\u2019s a combination of some of these factors that causes a fall.<\/p>\n

How to prevent falls
\n<\/strong>
\n\u2022\u00a0 Exercise<\/strong> \u2013 By doing exercises that help\u00a0improve balance and strength, you can be\u00a0more stable on your feet. Tai Chi is one type\u00a0of exercise that can help.
\n\u2022\u00a0 Ask your doctor<\/strong> \u2013 Your doctor can evaluate\u00a0your risks for falling and check or adjust\u00a0your medications. Some medications can\u00a0cause dizziness.
\n\u2022\u00a0 Check your vision<\/strong> \u2013 Visiting an eye doctor\u00a0at least once a year to check your eyes and\u00a0glasses may help you avoid some risks. Vision\u00a0issues or improper glasses can cause falls.
\n\u2022\u00a0 Fall-proof your home<\/strong> \u2013 Ensure that your\u00a0home is safe and has good lighting. Eliminate\u00a0any tripping hazards. Install handrails on both\u00a0sides of stairs, install tub\/shower grab bars,\u00a0use a non-slip tub mat, remove throw rugs,\u00a0and keep frequently used items within reach\u00a0on low shelves.<\/p>\n

Source: cdc.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

Health New England can also help
\n<\/strong>
\nAs part of your Health New England Medicare\u00a0Advantage plan, you can use your Fitness\u00a0Center\/Weight Watchers\u00ae\/Acupuncture\/Over the-Counter Items Allowance to help with fall\u00a0prevention. This combined benefit provides\u00a0reimbursement of up to $150 per calendar year\u00a0for a fitness center membership and over-the counter\u00a0items, which include shower chairs,\u00a0bathtub benches, grab bars, raised toilet seats\u00a0and more. By taking advantage of this allowance,\u00a0you can help decrease your risk of falling.<\/p>\n

*Health New England Medicare Advantage is an HMO Plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in\u00a0Health New England Medicare Advantage depends on contract renewal. This information is not a\u00a0complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments and\u00a0 restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums and\/or copayments\/coinsurance may change on January 1\u00a0of each year.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

H8578_2018_502 Accepted<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that one in three adults over age 65 experiences a fall each year?\u00a0According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five of\u00a0those falls results in a serious injury, such as a broken bone or head injury and may\u00a0require hospitalization. As we get older, many factors can increase our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":5527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[488,676,378,329],"class_list":["post-6606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medicare","tag-fall-prevention","tag-health-tips","tag-medicare","tag-safety-tips"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/events-e1490017747147.jpg?fit=800%2C325&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6ZZGa-1Iy","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6606"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6609,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6606\/revisions\/6609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}