Chronic Health And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For Chronic Health Issues

By Suzanne Stoke, Physical Therapist @ Exercise For Balance via www.exerciseforbalance.com

  Many seniors have chronic health problems that effect their mobility and performing  senior balance exercises can help them stay mobile. Please see    http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now According to Rein Tideiksaar Ph.D., PA-C, elders who have chronic health problems (such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, Parkinson’s, dementia, etc.) are more likely to fall then those without any chronic conditions. One of the main reasons for this is that many ‘chronic diseases’ negatively affect ones strength, balance, thinking processes, etc. As well, multiple medications used to treat chronic conditions are associated with dangerous side effects (such as dizziness, balance loss, confusion, drops in blood pressure, etc). Doctors and physical therapists, for the most part, do a good job in treating and managing elders with chronic illness, which helps to lessen the chances of falling.

There are several other factors, however, that can result in high fall risk for elders with chronic disease. Many of these are often overlooked, but nonetheless are important. They include:

·       Not receiving counseling on diet, medication, and self-care and/or elders are non-compliant with such treatments. Both can lead to a worsening of health conditions.

·       Lack of information on recognizing early warning signs or symptoms of worsening illness. Also, elders may not have the capability (physical and/or mental) to respond to such signs.

·       Doctors may be unaware of an elder’s knowledge deficit about their illness and/or any barriers to adherence with treatments.

·      Elders with chronic illness often see multiple physicians (average of 7 different doctors per year). Many of these doctors may not be aware of each others’ care. This can lead to medication prescribing problems (dangerous drug interactions and side effects), incompatible or contraindicated treatments, or providing differing advice. Also, often no one doctor is responsible for the elder’s care. 

As a result, elders with chronic disease often have a worsening of their condition (s), which places them at high risk of falling.

Additionally, there are two other important factors compounding the problem:

·       Medicare reimbursement for education and counseling, care coordination, advice on fall prevention, and ongoing monitoring of elders with chronic health conditions (the things that can really help to reduce fall risk) is limited.

·       A recent report from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) found that many doctors in California don’t routinely screen elders for falls. Of the more than half a million California elders who fall more than once a year, less than half receive any advice on how to prevent falls from their doctor. There’s no reason to doubt that this is happening in other states as well. Most doctors recognize that participating in a senior balance exercise program helps to reduce the risk of falling as well as promoting safe mobility and independence.

 

Senior Balance Exercises For The Chronically Ill

   Individuals who suffer with chronic illness especially need to rehearse senior balance exercises on a daily basis to build necessary balance skills and to limit any potential for falling. Equilibrium routines can be as simple as standing on one foot (near a counter or table if you need to hang on) for about twenty seconds. That stability routine can be progressed to standing with the feet in a tandem position, one foot in front of the other. You can practice these and other senior balance exercises by following the instruction of a qualified Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For those with chronic illnesses, please initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and balance routines from a  qualified balance specialist --- licensed Physical Therapist---who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 25 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

 Stay strong and steady by starting balance exercises today with the Exercise For Balance DVD to improve balance and prevent falls.
For more information see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/