At Assisting Hands Home Care, at least half of the individuals who receive help from a caregiver suffer from some form of memory loss. One of the top reasons families call on caregiving services is for fall prevention. While we may think of dementia symptoms and unsteadiness on our feet as two disconnected pieces of the puzzle, our resident intern sheds light on just how interconnected dementia and falls are at any age.

Dementia and Falls: How are they related?

Individuals 65 years or older with dementia symptoms are 2x as likely to experience a fall relative to their age equivalent counterparts. Diseases that result in dementia symptoms include Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Disease, Lewy Bodies Disease, etc. There are multiple reasons why you or a loved one who is experiencing dementia symptoms is at an increased risk for falling:

Reduced Physical Activity:

As we age, our level of physical activity decreases, resulting in declining strength and balance. This decline is even greater for individuals with dementia symptoms. This is because movement throughout the day is reduced overall, motivation levels to engage in activity often decrease, and assistance levels required for safe mobility increase. Similar to practicing your serve for tennis or drawing to improve your art skills, it’s important to routinely engage in activity and exercise to maintain your balance and strength for greater stability with movement, thus reducing your risk of falling.

What’s the best way a caregiver can assist your loved one with physical activity? A simple walk around the block goes a long way. He or she may even take a walker with a chair to rest as needed.

Behavior changes:

Cognitive symptoms associated with dementia can lead to behavioral changes including increased impulsivity and wandering. Such habits paired with decreased balance and strength can lead to a fall, especially if in an environment that is not safe for that individual to be moving within alone. It is additionally important to maintain a safe and clutter-free home environment for those with dementia symptoms. When a representative from Assisting Hands makes the initial assessment, we provide recommendations during the home safety evaluation portion of the visit. These suggestions usually include simple modifications such as removing throw rugs, adding grab bars, or using a shower chair.

Medication Side Effects:

Some medications used to reduce dementia symptoms have side effects including increased risk of orthostatic hypotension. Orthostatic hypotension is a drop in one’s blood pressure when transitioning between positions either from lying down to sitting or sitting to standing. This decrease in blood pressure as a result of gravity acting on blood downward can result in symptoms of light headedness, dizziness, and blurred vision. It is important to transition between positions slowly or have an individual assist with transfers if you or a loved one is experiencing such symptoms. An Assisting Hands caregiver can help with medication reminders and notify the family or agency of any unusual changes or side effects that may be a result of medication. This kind of observation and reporting is essential when communicating with your doctor about medication changes or change in condition. Your loved one’s doctor may only see them for a few minutes during an appointment, making the information that a caregiver can gain while at the house for an extended period of time invaluable to prescribing the right medication and dosage.

Executive Function and Gait:

Although we often take walking for granted, it requires high levels of executive functioning. This is especially true when walking within and between rooms or within our community as the environment we may be walking through is variable. Those with dementia symptoms who have changes in executive functioning may have a harder time due to altered sensory information integration, difficulty paying attention to relevant stimuli, and reduced processing speed. All these factors are crucial for creating appropriate motor plans to adjust our movements to complete a task in a specific environment. As an example, if an individual is walking in a room where a small cardboard box has been left on the floor, that individual needs to: react to the obstacle, use their vision and balance to navigate around the obstacle safely and accurately, and not bump into or trip over any other objects that might be surrounding. Although this is a simple example, it sheds light how often we use our executive functioning and multitasking skills even for everyday activities. These everyday activities may be harder for those with dementia symptoms as a result.

Our team at Assisting Hands Home Care want to be a resource for you or your loved one with dementia symptoms to continue safely engaging in not only activities of daily living, but all enjoyed physical activities and hobbies. With an additional pair of hands, we want to provide peace of mind for all those involved in you or a loved one’s plan of care by providing the tools and assistance needed to live a meaningful and enjoyable life in your home.

Zhang, Weihong, et al. “Review of Gait, Cognition, and Fall Risks with Implications for Fall Prevention in Older Adults with Dementia.” Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, vol. 48, no. 1-2, 2019, pp. 17–29.

Allan, Louise M., et al. “Incidence and Prediction of Falls in Dementia: A Prospective Study in Older People.” PLoS ONE, vol. 4, no. 5, 2009.