Taking care of your eyes and ears can help prevent falls.
Eyes: As we grow older, changes in our eyes often affect our vision. Vision can become blurry, and depth and distance may become more difficult to judge. Our eyes become more sensitive to glare, slower to adjust to light, or less able to make a distinction between similar colors. We can also develop eye disorders such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration which can gradually change our vision. Even small changes to our vision can increase our risk of falling.
Ears: If your hearing begins to decline, your risk of falling may rise. Restoring hearing through the use of hearing aids may be protective, especially when people wear them consistently. People who wear hearing aids have about a 50% reduced odds of experiencing a fall, compared to non-users. Fall risk improves for those who wear hearing aids at least four hours per day.
Learn more, visit: Vision and Hearing | Staying On Your Feet – Taking Steps to Prevent Falls
Did you know taking care of your eyes and ears can help prevent falls?
For more support contact:
- Manitoba’s Seniors Eyeglass program at bit.ly/4fbSyfr
- Seniors Hearing Aid program at bit.ly/4fsXvRz.
- Your eye and hearing care specialists
- Focus on Falls at (204) 788-8073
- Health Links – Info Santé at (204) 788-8200