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Vestibular Rehabilitation: Fixing balancing issues among seniors

Author: Debosree Majumder
by Debosree Majumder
Posted: Jun 17, 2021

Elderly people often experience dizziness or other sensations that make them prone to ‘falls’ which can prove fatal sometimes. Sometimes this problem can be caused as a result of less or no physical movement at all and can be resolved with physical activity but sometimes it requires the interference of a vestibular rehabilitation therapist to fix this balancing issue among the seniors.

In this article, I will discuss what vestibular rehabilitation is and how it can help our beloved seniors to lead a good and comfortable life.

Our balance system is made up of Vision, Proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body), and the Vestibular system (which is the inner ear). When people age the perfect equilibrium between these three gets diminished and causes balance issues among seniors.

Vestibular Rehabilitation also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a specialized form of physical therapy used to treat balancing issues, posture, vision problems, and many more. Now, the question arises how will we know if our beloved elders need special attention regarding balance problems? The answer is: if we notice our aging parents or other senior members are finding it hard to maintain balance, especially when turning their head and crossing the street, or walking on uneven sidewalks then we should immediately seek specialist attention. The vestibular rehabilitation therapist will have a gait (manner of walk) and balance assessment of the elderly people. Thereby, hiring some Home Health Care Services for seniors can ease-up your worries. Additionally, they will be asked to walk, turning their head, balance with eyes open or closed, and stand on an uneven surface. Also, the rehab assistant would ask additional questions about dizziness and other issues and will teach some exercises to fix balancing issues among seniors. The exercises might include the following:

In bed or sitting: Eye movements (up and down, from side to side, focusing on fingers moving from three feet to one foot away from the face, etc.). Head Movements: (Bending forward and backward, turning from side to side, etc.)

Standing: Change from a sitting to a standing position with eyes open, then closed, etc.

Moving: Walk-Up and down a slope Throwing and catching a ball etc.

Subsequent visits and doing the exercises regularly will help our beloved elders to cope up with this and also help them to lead a comfortable life. Also, at home, we can care for elders by ensuring that our seniors take extra precautions to avoid falls and trips such as:

  • Using night lamps or they should turn on the lights first while waking up during the night.

  • Getting up slowly from the bed and waiting at least for 30-60 seconds before standing

  • Using a cane or a walker for stability if required

  • Wearing spectacles and undergoing eye examinations once a year and if they wear bifocals we need to make sure that they are tilting their head down while descending stairs so that their vision doesn’t blur the steps.

Elderly people often experience dizziness or other sensations that make them prone to ‘falls’ which can prove fatal sometimes. Sometimes this problem can be caused as a result of less or no physical movement at all and can be resolved with physical activity but sometimes it requires the interference of a vestibular rehabilitation therapist to fix this balancing issue among the seniors.

In this article, I will discuss what vestibular rehabilitation is and how it can help our beloved seniors to lead a good and comfortable life.

Our balance system is made up of Vision, Proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body), and the Vestibular system (which is the inner ear). When people age the perfect equilibrium between these three gets diminished and causes balance issues among seniors.

Vestibular Rehabilitation also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a specialized form of physical therapy used to treat balancing issues, posture, vision problems, and many more. Now, the question arises how will we know if our beloved elders need special attention regarding balance problems? The answer is: if we notice our aging parents or other senior members are finding it hard to maintain balance, especially when turning their head and crossing the street, or walking on uneven sidewalks then we should immediately seek specialist attention. The vestibular rehabilitation therapist will have a gait (manner of walk) and balance assessment of the elderly people. Thereby, hiring some Home Health Care Services for seniors can ease-up your worries. Additionally, they will be asked to walk, turning their head, balance with eyes open or closed, and stand on an uneven surface. Also, the rehab assistant would ask additional questions about dizziness and other issues and will teach some exercises to fix balancing issues among seniors. The exercises might include the following:

In bed or sitting: Eye movements (up and down, from side to side, focusing on fingers moving from three feet to one foot away from the face, etc.). Head Movements: (Bending forward and backward, turning from side to side, etc.)

Standing: Change from a sitting to a standing position with eyes open, then closed, etc.

Moving: Walk-Up and down a slope Throwing and catching a ball etc.

Subsequent visits and doing the exercises regularly will help our beloved elders to cope up with this and also help them to lead a comfortable life. Also, at home, we can care for elders by ensuring that our seniors take extra precautions to avoid falls and trips such as:

  • Using night lamps or they should turn on the lights first while waking up during the night.

  • Getting up slowly from the bed and waiting at least for 30-60 seconds before standing

  • Using a cane or a walker for stability if required

  • Wearing spectacles and undergoing eye examinations once a year and if they wear bifocals we need to make sure that they are tilting their head down while descending stairs so that their vision doesn’t blur the steps

The above-mentioned from bed discussions would help to throw light on how we can determine if our beloved seniors are facing some serious balancing issues or not and what steps can we take to help them feel better.

Elderly people often experience dizziness or other sensations that make them prone to ‘falls’ which can prove fatal sometimes. Sometimes this problem can be caused as a result of less or no physical movement at all and can be resolved with physical activity but sometimes it requires the interference of a vestibular rehabilitation therapist to fix this balancing issue among the seniors.

In this article, I will discuss what vestibular rehabilitation is and how it can help our beloved seniors to lead a good and comfortable life.

Our balance system is made up of Vision, Proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body), and the Vestibular system (which is the inner ear). When people age the perfect equilibrium between these three gets diminished and causes balance issues among seniors.

Vestibular Rehabilitation also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a specialized form of physical therapy used to treat balancing issues, posture, vision problems, and many more. Now, the question arises how will we know if our beloved elders need special attention regarding balance problems? The answer is: if we notice our aging parents or other senior members are finding it hard to maintain balance, especially when turning their head and crossing the street, or walking on uneven sidewalks then we should immediately seek specialist attention. The vestibular rehabilitation therapist will have a gait (manner of walk) and balance assessment of the elderly people. Thereby, hiring some Home Health Care Services for seniors can ease-up your worries. Additionally, they will be asked to walk, turning their head, balance with eyes open or closed, and stand on an uneven surface. Also, the rehab assistant would ask additional questions about dizziness and other issues and will teach some exercises to fix balancing issues among seniors. The exercises might include the following:

In bed or sitting: Eye movements (up and down, from side to side, focusing on fingers moving from three feet to one foot away from the face, etc.). Head Movements: (Bending forward and backward, turning from side to side, etc.)

Standing: Change from a sitting to a standing position with eyes open, then closed, etc.

Moving: Walk-Up and down a slope Throwing and catching a ball etc.

Subsequent visits and doing the exercises regularly will help our beloved elders to cope up with this and also help them to lead a comfortable life. Also, at home, we can care for elders by ensuring that our seniors take extra precautions to avoid falls and trips such as:

  • Using night lamps or they should turn on the lights first while waking up during the night.

  • Getting up slowly from the bed and waiting at least for 30-60 seconds before standing

  • Using a cane or a walker for stability if required

  • Wearing spectacles and undergoing eye examinations once a year and if they wear bifocals we need to make sure that they are tilting their head down while descending stairs so that their vision doesn’t blur the steps

The above-mentioned from bed discussions would help to throw light on how we can determine if our beloved seniors are facing some serious balancing issues or not and what steps can we take to help them feel better.

Elderly people often experience dizziness or other sensations that make them prone to ‘falls’ which can prove fatal sometimes. Sometimes this problem can be caused as a result of less or no physical movement at all and can be resolved with physical activity but sometimes it requires the interference of a vestibular rehabilitation therapist to fix this balancing issue among the seniors.

In this article, I will discuss what vestibular rehabilitation is and how it can help our beloved seniors to lead a good and comfortable life.

Our balance system is made up of Vision, Proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body), and the Vestibular system (which is the inner ear). When people age the perfect equilibrium between these three gets diminished and causes balance issues among seniors.

Vestibular Rehabilitation also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a specialized form of physical therapy used to treat balancing issues, posture, vision problems, and many more. Now, the question arises how will we know if our beloved elders need special attention regarding balance problems? The answer is: if we notice our aging parents or other senior members are finding it hard to maintain balance, especially when turning their head and crossing the street, or walking on uneven sidewalks then we should immediately seek specialist attention. The vestibular rehabilitation therapist will have a gait (manner of walk) and balance assessment of the elderly people. Thereby, hiring some Home Health Care Services for seniors can ease-up your worries. Additionally, they will be asked to walk, turning their head, balance with eyes open or closed, and stand on an uneven surface. Also, the rehab assistant would ask additional questions about dizziness and other issues and will teach some exercises to fix balancing issues among seniors. The exercises might include the following:

In bed or sitting: Eye movements (up and down, from side to side, focusing on fingers moving from three feet to one foot away from the face, etc.). Head Movements: (Bending forward and backward, turning from side to side, etc.)

Standing: Change from a sitting to a standing position with eyes open, then closed, etc.

Moving: Walk-Up and down a slope Throwing and catching a ball etc.

Subsequent visits and doing the exercises regularly will help our beloved elders to cope up with this and also help them to lead a comfortable life. Also, at home, we can care for elders by ensuring that our seniors take extra precautions to avoid falls and trips such as:

  • Using night lamps or they should turn on the lights first while waking up during the night.

  • Getting up slowly from the bed and waiting at least for 30-60 seconds before standing

  • Using a cane or a walker for stability if required

  • Wearing spectacles and undergoing eye examinations once a year and if they wear bifocals we need to make sure that they are tilting their head down while descending stairs so that their vision doesn’t blur the steps

The above-mentioned from bed discussions would help to throw light on how we can determine if our beloved seniors are facing some serious balancing issues or not and what steps can we take to help them feel better.

About the Author

Debosree is a professional writer working in the Senior Care Field for quite a long time. She has written many informative blogs and articles on the senior care facilities that are available. He has a great reader base.

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Author: Debosree Majumder

Debosree Majumder

Member since: May 29, 2021
Published articles: 117

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