HONG KONG SAR - MediaOutReach - 4 January 2021 - The Department of Health in 2013 stated that, inHong Kong, people over the age of 65 are more likely to fall at home. About oneout of every five elders living in the community will fall; 75% of them will beinjured, resulting in fractures and head injuries. Today we are pleased toinvite Dr Tio Man Kwun, Peter, who has extensive orthopaedic specialistsexperience to discuss the prevention of falls in older adults.

Dr Tio Man Kwun, Peter - Prevention is an excellent way ofavoiding a fall

Undoubtedly, no one would object to saying that the elderly falleasily. People are getting old, and flexibility will eventually decrease. Butwhat the public does not know is that the elderly fall can be prevented. It isnot a must experience that happens for every elderly. The elders will not fallfor no reason. They can be prevented from falls as long as they correctlyassess the risk of falling accidents in their living environment and controlthem; every elder can avoid falling.

A relatively high probability of falling

The Department of Health2013 stated that, in Hong Kong, there is about 20% of elders aged 65 and aboveinvolved in a fall. There are 75% among the elderly who will be injured, mainlyfractures or severe head trauma. An average of 5% of elders who went to theElderly Health Centre of the Department of Health for the examination havefallen twice or more. The studies have also shown that the chance of fallingagain is four times higher than the elderly who have not involved in a fallbefore. According to the above data, falling is one of the leading causes ofillness and death in the elderly, and this must not be ignored. The most commoninjuries for elderly falling are fractures, including injuries to the hands,feet, lumbar, lumbar spine and hip joints. The wrists and feet can be treatedwith plasters, but in severe cases, surgery is necessary.

Dr TioMan Kwun, Peter explained: Is there peak season for elderly falling

Dr Tio Man Kwun, Peter,a specialist in orthopaedics, saidthat people over the age of 60 should concern more to the problem of falls.Based on Dr Tio's experience, two leading causes result in the elderly to fall.The two leading causes are the elders wearing heavyclothes in winter and using low-quality crutches or walking aids. Besides,Dr Tio also said that the elders generally wear more and thicker clothing tokeep warm in winter. This may make their physical activities more inflexibleand significantly increasing the risk of falling. According to Dr Tio'sexperience, more than ten elders per day are admitted to the hospital due tofalls in winter. Therefore, in addition to keeping warm when entering the coldwinter, elders should also pay attention to keeping their bodies flexible toavoid falling. Using the quality of walking aids such as canes, crutches, andwalking devices can also prevent the elderly from falls.

How canelders prevent from falling

As aforementioned in thisarticle, elderly fall accidents are preventable. Prevention is always betterthan cure. Elderly fall accidents are preventable. Dr Tio Man Kwun shared someprevention means to reduce the chance of falling. First, keep the debris inyour home as low as possible on the floor. If the floor is damaged or uneven,it should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent the elderly from tripping.Keep the home clean and dry, and keep the indoor light sufficient to reduce thechance of slipping. The elderly can also use walking sticks to assist walking,even at home. Non-slip rubber mats can be placed in the bathtub or shower, andhandrails can be installed where necessary.

In terms of diet, try toconsume high-calcium foods such as milk, beans, dried fruits and nut. Many fishand vegetables can also provide rich calcium. Elderly eating more high-calciumfoods can help prevent osteoporosis in the event of a fall. It can also reducethe chance of fracture. The aged-adults are encouraged to go outdoor morebecause when the skin receives ultraviolet radiation, it helps calciumabsorption. Thereby, it will increase bone density, enhancing bone elasticity,helping to strengthen bones, and also helpful for backaches, jointinflexibility and other problems.

FallPrevention: Balance and Strength Exercises for Older Adults

Dr Tio encouraged theelderly to do more physical exercise as it isundoubtedly indispensable to prevent falls. He also suggested that ageing adults should do more stretchingactivities to increase the flexibility of muscles and joints. Other exercisessuch as cycling, Tai Chi and others are also recommended because thesepractices can improve body balance and muscle sensibility. If being persistentin exercising, it can slow down muscle atrophy and degeneration. Not only youngpeople can go to the gym. Senior citizens can also consider lightweight-bearing exercise in the gym because weight-bearing exercise cansignificantly help osteoporosis. They can also perform weight training oncertain parts of the body according to their physical conditions. But no matterwhat kind of exercise, they must remember to do enough warm-up exercises beforestarting.

Also, since osteoporosisdevelops gradually over the years, there is no symptom or discomfort. Regularbone density checks can diagnose osteoporosis earlier.

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The profile of Dr Tio Man Kwun, Peter

Dr Tio Man Kwun Petergraduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong and wasawarded an MBBS degree. After graduation, Dr Tio was granted Fellowship of theRoyal College of Edinburgh of Surgeons and Fellowship of the Hong Kong Collegeof Surgeons in 1998. Dr Peter Tio then obtained Fellowships from the RoyalCollege of Surgeons (orthopaedics), fellowship of Hong Kong College ofOrthopaedic Surgeons and Fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine(orthopaedics) in 2002.

Dr Peter Tio has started his private practiceat Room 709, Office Tower One, Grand Plaza, 639 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon since2005 till now.

Office opening hours are:Monday to Friday: 10am to 6pm. Saturday: 10am to 3pm.

Advanced booking isrequired. Tel No.: 23920300.

Dr Tio is willing toaccept emergency consultation. Please call 72223867 in case of emergency.