Falls are the number one cause of hospitalization and death for people with memory loss, and falls are a major healthy life expectancy limiter for older people, and a lot of it has to do with deconditioning. And yes, there's arthritis. Yes, there is arthritis, but there's also people just don't move enough to support the muscles that support their joints. And there's a presentation I like to give about twinges in the hinges that shows people exactly what they have to do to protect the joints and strengthen the muscles that keep them from falling. The other thing that is a risk of falling is loose, loose cords, and rugs, and obstacles, and clutter is a major problem with falls, particularly on stairs.

And then there's lighting. You know, you have to be able to see it. You know, now I've, I've had cataract surgery, and I've got my glasses, so as we age, we have more difficulty with vision, and so you may need different lighting in your house. That is really important. Having grab bars or having things set up so that if you start to have a problem, you have something solid to handle. I have a relative who has stacks of books everywhere in her house, and she has a fall problem. But if she leans on those books, those books are gonna move, and she's gonna fall. So having stable environments, stable, clean, cleanliness, no clutter, and physical therapists will come to your house and find out what your fall risks are.

Now, the other thing is that the National Council on Aging has an evidence-based fall prevention program that, again, your church, your VFW, your sorority can get this information and help your whole congregation, your whole community, learn how to protect themselves from falls.

And a walker is not necessarily something that helps you. I mean, if you're deconditioned, the treatment is supervised exercise. It's not giving you a walker and walking away. And you also have to know what kind of gait assist you need. Do not go to Walgreens and buy a cane, because physical therapists have a doctorate for a reason, you know, and your walking assist needs to be prescribed, just like your medicine is prescribed. Do you need a four-prong cane? Is it a right-handed or a left-handed four-prong cane? If you need balls on your walker, should it go in the front or the back?

I mean, they know this stuff. Do not go buy it yourself and just give it. There was a geriatrics board question about what the angle is supposed to be at the elbow if your, if your cane is at the right height. Do you know that? If you don't, this is a time to talk to physical therapy.