What is the relationship between fall prevention and mobility maintenance?

The two are two-way supports and mutually reinforcing each other - prevention of falls is the core goal of mobility maintenance, and continuous mobility maintenance is the lowest guarantee for reducing the risk of falls. If the two are completely separated, the effect will be compromised.

Many people used to think of these two things as two different things, thinking that preventing falls means installing handrails and wearing non-slip shoes, and maintaining mobility means adding calcium and taking two more steps. This is really not the case. In the five years I have been working in the community as a health service provider for the elderly, I have seen too many elderly people who have strayed. Just like Aunt Zhang who lived in Building 3 two years ago. When she was 71 years old, she heard from her neighbors that someone had fallen and collapsed on the bed. She was so frightened that she replaced all the anti-skid facilities in the house that could be replaced. I even bought three pairs of slippers with anti-skid patterns. He rarely went out because he was afraid of falling. However, only eight months later, he went downstairs to throw out trash and stepped on a sycamore fruit that fell on the ground. He fractured his femoral neck while sitting on the ground. It took him half a year to be able to move slowly. To put it bluntly, he lost strength in his lower limbs too quickly after sitting for too long, and he couldn't handle even a small trigger. Uncle Li, who lives in the same community, is 5 years older than Aunt Zhang. He stepped on stagnant water and fell once during morning exercise. He did not dare to move after that. He attended balance and muscle strength training classes with a community rehabilitation practitioner three times a week. He would also stand on one leg while holding on to the sofa at home. At home, he only put a few anti-slip strips in the bathroom and kitchen. It has been almost four years. Not to mention falling, he can usually ride an electric bike stably to buy groceries in the suburbs.

In fact, there are different opinions on the priorities of the two in the industry. Most teams doing aging-friendly transformation believe that the first priority is to eliminate the risk of falls in the environment. The improvement of mobility is slow, and water in the distance cannot quench the thirst in the near.； The rehabilitation team also feels that no matter how safe the environment is, a person will not be able to stand or walk steadily, and will easily fall if there is a slight accident. Improving mobility is fundamental. After visiting nearly a thousand elderly people in more than a dozen communities, we found that there is really no need to compete. The two are originally two parts of a package. If you just change the environment, the elderly's legs will be so weak that they can't even step over the threshold, and no matter how good the anti-slip mat is, it will be useless. ； Just by practicing strength, the aisles at home are full of debris, the bathroom floor is always wet, and even young people are prone to falling.

To put it bluntly, the relationship between the two is like maintaining a car. Various measures to prevent falls are equivalent to installing bumpers and changing anti-skid tires on the car to help you withstand most accidents. Mobility maintenance is equivalent to regular engine maintenance and brake adjustment to ensure that the performance of the car itself is good enough. If both are done well, you will be safe when you go out. Without either, the risk is high. When we make customized plans for the elderly, we first measure indicators such as walking ability, sense of balance, and lower limb muscle strength, and then adjust them based on environmental risk at home. We never focus on one aspect alone. After all, whether it is preventing falls or improving mobility, the ultimate goal is to enable the elderly to live comfortably and efficiently.