Tripping vs. Falls

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njk0407

Active member
Joined
May 10, 2016
Messages
84
Reason
Lost a loved one
Diagnosis
06/2016
Country
US
State
NC
City
Holly Springs
Hi,

I've heard a lot about not letting your PALS fall, that after every fall it speeds up progression. I need to know at what point should an assistive device be used? (cane, walking stick). My PALS tripped over the corner of the area rug that was sticking up this morning and crashed to the floor. 2 weeks ago he slipped in his wet bare feet in the driveway and went down. It always seems to be that the fall is due to a trip or a slip or losing his balance (on several occasions). When he falls it's literally like watching a tree go down. We went to the beach this past weekend (our first time since last summer) and he loves the ocean and loves to boogie board. I thought it would be a good idea to buy him a lifejacket just in case. I put his lifejacket on, walked him into the ocean with his board in hand and boom a big wave hit us, down he went and every time he tried getting up another wave would hit. I thought he was going to drown. I finally got him back up but realized he cannot get up on his own into a standing position. No boogie boarding or going into the ocean for that matter :-( Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Nikki
 
I think I trip more because of my weakness even though there may be a reason like his incident with the rug. I KNOW that I have fallen because once a trip started I can't stop a fall whereas before I might have saved it. The falling like a tree is part of things.

Anything that will stop this is important. If he has early foot drop or ankle instability an afo can help- a lot. Analyzing what is happening can help figure things out. Generally a walker can give more stability than a cane. Discussion with PT might be helpful
 
Thank you Nikki. I think he might have problems picking up his foot at times too.
 
All but one of my falls have been due to tripping, a cane doesn't help with that. I have still fallen with the walker but it was a lot better than nothing.

Getting an ankle brace helped for a while. I also got the lightest weight plimsoles I could to wear with them as things progressed I couldn't walk in my normal shoes at all they were far too heavy. Towards the end of being able to walk I got very soft ankle supports that had elastic on them to pull my feet up this meant I could still manage barefoot indoors. At this stage any outside walking was a no go.

The main thing was removing bath mats and rugs, putting laminate floor in and making sure doorway thresholds were smooth. Clearing low level furniture to the side on main areas too. We also put small grab bars next to doorways with a step. That one was a cheap fix and helped for ages.

What ever you do only ever works for a while and having o.t and p.t support to get stuff quickly as things change is essential. Having the stuff ready and waiting to use just in case takes the stress out of things.

Wendy
 
Wendy is so right with making environmental changes and advance planning

If by not picking up his foot you mean his forefoot ( foot drop) an afo should help. As A slow progressor he might get a lot of mileage out of it. I have had mine for 2.5 years. Get an order and a referral to an experienced orthotist. Mine specializes in MND and spinal cord injuries. My afo was readymade but he made padding adjustments for proper fit and has twice made further adjustments
 
Thanks so much ladies for your advice and suggestions. Your input is a huge help :)
 
I took all the thresholds out of my condo and have a uniform floor throughout. I was walking fine last September but twisted my "good" ankle coming out of the grocery store with heavy bags and not seeing the curb. It still hurts but I got back probably 75% range of motion.

It set me back because I couldn't walk and my other muscles weakened. My uneven gait threw my back out and I ended up on pain pills for 3 months. Getting in the pool helped get back my range of motion.

I have to be very careful what type of sneakers I wear. My running shoes are so comfortable and I feel no pain walking with them but they are not a good solution for ankle stability. My slip on sketchers are better for stability because the bottom is flat and wide. I have to wear very thick socks with them but they work well inside.
 
Carolina Nikki,

Check for adaptive water sports in your area...there may be ways to get him into the water, still. I see several groups in NC. Same goes for everyone.

Best,
Laurie
 
There is also adaptive water equipment that might help. I still use an aqua jogger to keep my back protected so I can use my legs and arms in the deep end. I was using a noodle but that didn't work. I've Googled adaptive water equipment and found many things that might be useful in the pool as progression occurs.

One thing I find invaluable are aqua shoes. They fit tightly around my foot and provide comfort while walking to the pool. In addition, they help me avoid foot cramping while I'm moving my legs in the deep end.

Before I started using them, my toes would cramp because they were being bent against the force of my kicking. The aqua shoes solved that issue.

If there is any way you can get him into a heated pool, I believe it will help.
 
Hi Kim,

Thanks, for the info. He can go into the pool but not in the deep end. He doesn't have enough strength to swim so I just bought him a life jacket that works, but is annoying to him. I'm going to research some adaptive equipment and look into getting the aqua shoes.

Thanks!
 
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