After a couple of falls my mother seems to have lost her confidence. She refuses to join her regular exercise group. We're worried she'll just decline more and more. What can we do?
A loss of function after a fall, accident, injury, or illness is very common in the older adult. They do lose their confidence. They are afraid to do their regular activities because they might fall again or something else worse might happen.
Sometimes it's just a matter of motivating the person to try again. In other cases they really need some individual help to get back on track. It might be a good time to speak with her doctor about a plan to help her regain her strength, balance, and confidence.
Sometimes a home health nurse or physical therapist can help. These individuals have been trained to assess for problems that can be leading to her loss of balance for example. A specific program of exercise can be supervised until she gets back to her former level of activity and ability.
Education is important too. Older adults need to know that activity and exercise can prevent further loss in function. A program tailored to the specific needs of each person is best after a major change in physical level of activity.
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