Reduce Fall Risk in Your Community: How Strength Training Helps
Falls are one of the biggest problems for senior living communities, including skilled nursing facilities (SNF), assisted living (AL) and independent living (IL) communities. According to the CDC, there are about one million fall-related hospitalizations among older adults every year, and lower body weakness is linked to fall risk.1 Where does this leave the operators of senior living communities? Reducing patients’ and residents’ risk of falls is one of the best ways to keep them healthy and improve occupancy and length of stay.
Falls: The Problem
In September 2022, SafelyYou released its inaugural State of Falls report, which sheds light on the reality of falls in senior living communities. For this report, SafelyYou surveyed over 400 executives and care providers across senior care, as well as over 1,000 American adults aged 42 and older. The results were shocking. Here’s what they found:
$380,000 per year: That’s how much assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities are paying in annual fall costs. That’s the equivalent of nearly 10 full-time care staff salaries.
19% of adults over age 71 avoid activities out of fear. That means their quality of life is impacted.
1 in 4 falls results in an increased level of care. For SNF residents, that can mean a hospital stay, for AL or IL residents, this can mean transitioning to a SNF.
What Falls Prevention Does for Senior Care Communities
The data is clear: falls are a problem in senior care communities. The question is: what can community operators do about it? Finding ways to decrease falls is not only better for patient and resident health and well-being. It’s also better for business. According to the SafelyYou report:
2 out of 3 prospective residents and families inquire about fall mitigation strategies
6 out of 10 senior care providers say fall reduction would give them a point of differentiation.
Families want to know that their loved ones are safe when they’re living in a senior living community. The decision to move a loved one into a care community is a difficult one, and families want peace of mind that their loved one is going to be well cared for.
How Strength Training Reduces the Risk of Falls
Lower body weakness, balance and walking problems all increase the risk of falls in older adults. When accompanied by the use of multiple medications, low blood pressure or tripping hazards, the risk multiplies. Strength training exercises can improve muscle strength and power in the lower body, which helps seniors maintain balance and stability. This can also help improve walking speed and reduce fall risk.2
Strength training can also help improve balance, coordination and proprioception. Balance and functional exercises can reduce the rate of falls by 25%, according to one study that analyzed nearly 8,000 older adults. 2
Set Your Community Up for Success
By adding a strength training solution that is simple, engaging and space-saving, you’re giving your patients and residents the tools they need to build strength and reduce their risk of falls.
The OxeFit XS1 is the all-in-one solution for senior strength training. Learn more about incorporating the XS1 into your senior living community. Click here to schedule a demo.
1 https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
2 https://medicine.tufts.edu/news-events/news/exercise-can-help-decrease-fall-risk-elderly-people