1. < Aging Well

How do you feel about falling?

Posted by Steph-Words That Fly @stephcarney, Jan 7 9:05pm

In the last two winters I've had two falls. The first was a series of three falls on an icy trail within 15 minutes resulting in a badly sprained wrist that took a looong time to recover from. Now I'm terrified of the ice or even slippery new snow, so I have four different sets of micro spikes.

Early last spring I fell down the steps (indoors) carrying my ailing dog to let her out in the middle of the night. She was fine. I was badly bruised in multiple places. Now, no socks on steps, carry only one thing and hold the rail. I manage steps very carefully.

I am paranoid about falling. Maybe I should practice falling correctly! What are your thoughts about falling? What do you do to prevent falls?

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seniormed | @seniormed | Jan 16 10:24am

Having the GPS feature synced with your phone and
apps settings on always allow location is reassurance
you can be seen by your family in an emergency.
I have not tried Fitbit. The fall feature can notify your
emergency contacts if you acknowledge the need.
I do find the watch and apps motivational.
I am not techie so I have the midsize watch.
I recently quit solo trail walks and enjoy my power walks
in our neighborhood subdivisions.

REPLY
Steph-Words That Fly | @stephcarney | Jan 16 12:08pm
In reply to @sandy148 "I had two weeks in rehab and then 2 weeks after coming home. I continue to..." + (show)
@sandy148

I had two weeks in rehab and then 2 weeks after coming home. I continue to go to the gym twice a week. Part of my problem is I fell on a hip replacement. My walking is fine and going up the steps is not a problem but when coming down, my leg will not bend as it should. I become a fall risk.

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@sandy148 Hi Sandy. I wonder if anyone has given you a reason why your leg doesn't bend properly allowing you to walk down steps with greater ease. Have you pursued additional PT or OT? Has anyone else on this thread experienced the same difficulty?

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1 reply
Steph-Words That Fly | @stephcarney | Jan 16 12:12pm
In reply to @daphne17 "I'd like to know more about the Apple Watch. I have a Fitbit but I'm not..." + (show)
@daphne17

I'd like to know more about the Apple Watch. I have a Fitbit but I'm not really thrilled with it and I think I would like the features you mention.

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@daphne17 My husband has an Apple watch and he's amazed by all the features it has. Twice now when there was a change in gait or a jarring movement his watch has asked him if he's ok and if he needs help. There are so many aspects of his health that are constantly being monitored- heart rate, O2, movement, sleep... Amazing technology.

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1 reply
daphne17 | @daphne17 | Jan 16 3:26pm
In reply to @stephcarney "@daphne17 My husband has an Apple watch and he's amazed by all the features it has...." + (show)
@stephcarney

@daphne17 My husband has an Apple watch and he's amazed by all the features it has. Twice now when there was a change in gait or a jarring movement his watch has asked him if he's ok and if he needs help. There are so many aspects of his health that are constantly being monitored- heart rate, O2, movement, sleep... Amazing technology.

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Does he have to pay extra for those features or does the watch come with the m? My Fitbit requires a bunch of upgrades to get certain things.

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1 reply
Steph-Words That Fly | @stephcarney | Jan 16 3:36pm
In reply to @daphne17 "Does he have to pay extra for those features or does the watch come with the..." + (show)
@daphne17

Does he have to pay extra for those features or does the watch come with the m? My Fitbit requires a bunch of upgrades to get certain things.

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@daphne17 I have a fitbit as well and there's no comparing what I have with the Apple watch.

It comes with all these features, and even though his son gave it to him in July, I think there are features he still hasn't explored! It's funny to watch him talking into his watch like some character from the old tv show "I Spy" !

The only downside aside from expense is that I think that you need to pair it with an iPhone which we both already had anyway.

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2 replies
daphne17 | @daphne17 | Jan 16 5:00pm
In reply to @stephcarney "@daphne17 I have a fitbit as well and there's no comparing what I have with the..." + (show)
@stephcarney

@daphne17 I have a fitbit as well and there's no comparing what I have with the Apple watch.

It comes with all these features, and even though his son gave it to him in July, I think there are features he still hasn't explored! It's funny to watch him talking into his watch like some character from the old tv show "I Spy" !

The only downside aside from expense is that I think that you need to pair it with an iPhone which we both already had anyway.

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Thank you. That sounds very useful. One of my doctors even suggested it because of falling and my afib. I don't have an iPhone just a Samsung. My son keeps urging me to get one. These tech companies really get you coming and going! I think I may have to give in and switch over to Apple. BTW I remember (when I was a kid) Dick Tracy using his 2-way wrist radio. He would talk into it--probably like your husband does. Funny how fiction becomes reality.😊
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ikqPo9fXYa8

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1 reply
marshanp | @marshanp | Jan 16 11:06pm

When I wanted to own a smart watch I did get one with fall protection. I had a hard fall on concrete when walking with my boyfriend. As a laid face down on the sidewalk making sure I was okay, my watch signed did I need help. I answered no. It did call my boyfriend who is my first contact that I had a fall. Amazing. I wasn't looking ahead since the moon was full and tripped on sidewalk that was lifting up about 3 inches.

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Rubyslippers | @triciaot | Jan 16 11:54pm
In reply to @daphne17 "Thank you. That sounds very useful. One of my doctors even suggested it because of falling..." + (show)
@daphne17

Thank you. That sounds very useful. One of my doctors even suggested it because of falling and my afib. I don't have an iPhone just a Samsung. My son keeps urging me to get one. These tech companies really get you coming and going! I think I may have to give in and switch over to Apple. BTW I remember (when I was a kid) Dick Tracy using his 2-way wrist radio. He would talk into it--probably like your husband does. Funny how fiction becomes reality.😊
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ikqPo9fXYa8

Jump to this post

Samsung makes a smart watch, too. I believe it does most, if not all, the same things as an Apple Watch. It has a heart monitor, will contact emergency numbers, you can answer calls and texts, and control music.
I have an Apple Watch and iPhone, and love the ability to answer a call (then ask the person to hang on while I go get my phone), quickly see incoming texts, find my phone, and check my heart rate. If you’re comfortable with your Samsung, though, you may not appreciate the learning curve needed to start using another brand device.
Samsung makes good products - here’s a link -
https://www.samsung.com/us/watches/galaxy-watch6/

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1 reply
sandy148 | @sandy148 | Jan 17 7:45am
In reply to @stephcarney "@sandy148 Hi Sandy. I wonder if anyone has given you a reason why your leg doesn't..." + (show)
@stephcarney

@sandy148 Hi Sandy. I wonder if anyone has given you a reason why your leg doesn't bend properly allowing you to walk down steps with greater ease. Have you pursued additional PT or OT? Has anyone else on this thread experienced the same difficulty?

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No I have not done extra PT. I think it is the way the rod was positioned. I feel lucky to be able to move around as well as I do given the circumstances.

REPLY
daphne17 | @daphne17 | Jan 17 10:55am
In reply to @triciaot "Samsung makes a smart watch, too. I believe it does most, if not all, the same..." + (show)
@triciaot

Samsung makes a smart watch, too. I believe it does most, if not all, the same things as an Apple Watch. It has a heart monitor, will contact emergency numbers, you can answer calls and texts, and control music.
I have an Apple Watch and iPhone, and love the ability to answer a call (then ask the person to hang on while I go get my phone), quickly see incoming texts, find my phone, and check my heart rate. If you’re comfortable with your Samsung, though, you may not appreciate the learning curve needed to start using another brand device.
Samsung makes good products - here’s a link -
https://www.samsung.com/us/watches/galaxy-watch6/

Jump to this post

Thank you so much. I will definitely check this out.

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