When you have physical disability such as Spina Bifida it is easier to fall because you don’t have as much stability as someone without disability and it doesn’t take much to lose your balance and fall. Disabled people have a slightly higher fall risk than non-disabled people, but you don’t need to have a disability to lose your balance and seriously hurt yourself because it can happen to anyone. There is nothing you can do that will completely prevent a fall because accidents happen and sometimes you are going to have a wipeout and slip on water that you didn’t see until it was too late. Some disabled people fall more easily than others, and it depends on your mobility level because people who are more stable on their feet will often fall less than someone who has mobility issues, but it happens to all of us and is nothing to be ashamed about. I fall sometimes because I have a physical disability but fortunately, I was taught how to fall and most of my falls are not serious and I get right back up. How do you prevent falls when you have a physical disability? In this post, I am going to share what I do to prevent falls.
Learn how to fall- When I was a child, I went to physical therapy to learn how to walk which also taught me how to fall because falls are going to happen when you walk with crutches. Learning how to fall has been one of the most useful skills I have learned because it has taught me the right way to fall to prevent injury. Fall prevention is important for everyone because anyone can break a bone from a minor slip and fall but unfortunately, most people do not know how to fall and fail to put their hands out to brace themselves when they feel themselves going. I still fall sometimes because I am disabled, and you can’t prevent every fall but because I was taught the right way to fall I don’t get serious injuries very often. Learning how to fall is a very important and necessary skill that everyone should have, because it can save you a lot of trips to the doctors.
Get a grab bar for your shower- Most of my falls happen when I am in the shower because wetness and a physical disability do not go well together. If you are disabled and do not have good control over your body, it is probably not a good idea to shower by yourself and you might want to ask for help, but not all disabled people need assistance while taking a shower. As a disabled person, I am well aware that there is a slightly higher fall risk while in the shower, but I don’t need someone to give me a shower because I am able to bathe without injuring myself. I have a removable grab bar attached to the end of my tub that has helped give me stability when I get out of the shower because when you have a physical disability, you need things to grab onto when you get out of the shower. Grab bars are very inexpensive and have helped me prevent so many falls that could have been serious.
Get a shower chair– I am one of the few disabled people who do not sit on a shower chair when I take a shower because I feel like I don’t get as clean and would much rather sit in the tub, but I do use them for transfers. Shower chairs can be helpful for a lot of disabled people who don’t have as much mobility as I do and can’t sit in the tub and easily get back up. A shower chair can be helpful for a lot of people with physical disabilities and also people in pain because it takes stress off your muscles and helps people who live with fatigue save some energy. After I had hip replacement surgery, I was not able to bear any weight on my operated leg for a few months and if it wasn’t for shower chairs I would not have been able to take a shower. A shower chair is a must-have for disabled people because it allows you to safely and independently bathe yourself.
Dry the end of my crutch if it’s wet– I am grateful for my crutches because they give me the ability to walk but it is hard to walk when there is any kind of wetness. When your crutch is wet it doesn’t take much to have a wipeout and one of the easiest things you can do to prevent a fall when the bottom of your crutch is wet is to find a carpet and dry it off. Wet crutches are not fun to walk with and significantly increase your fall risk because you don’t have as much control, and you want to make sure your crutches are always dry.
Ask for help- As a disabled person I am able to do most of things without assistance, but I still have a disability and there are some things I am not confident doing myself that my disability prevents me from doing well and that is okay. If you don’t feel confident making a sandwich without assistance, then don’t because there is nothing worth the risk of falling and needing to go to the hospital to get stitches. There is no shame in asking for help and most falls happen when people try to do things that they should not have been doing.
Do a little exercise– When I exercise, I fall less because when you exercise you build muscle and have better control over your body than people who never exercise. Exercise can be so helpful for disabled people because the more strength you have the easier it will be to catch yourself when you do start to lose your balance. I exercise not to change my body, and I mostly do it to prevent falls and since I started strength training consistently, I have been able to prevent so many falls that could have been serious. Exercise is not just about the physical changes, but it also is great for fall prevention because when you have more muscle it’s less likely you will trip and break a bone.
Falls can happen to anyone and even if you were to do everything, I have mentioned to prevent a fall it does not mean it will never happen because even the most experienced people have nasty falls. sometimes. As a disabled person, I fall more easily and sometimes it’s embarrassing but as long as I don’t seriously hurt myself, I try to laugh at myself sometimes because life is more enjoyable when we can have a laugh. We all have clumsy moments where people are watching us, and we push a door that says pull but that is okay because these moments are what shape us. Do the best that you can to prevent falls but at the end of the day, it’s important to remember that you are still disabled and falls are still going to happen even if you are taking every precaution. How do you prevent falls? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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