All of a sudden, I started falling down a lot.

I’d trip myself up on the street or lose my balance on the step stool doing chores around the house. I cracked two ribs on the edge of Steve’s desk, when I slipped on the carpet in my bare feet. I hit my head when I lost my balance clearing out Steve’s closet. Rude awakening!

I was alone and had become a cliché: “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

I’m not old, I protested to myself. But it was happening way too often. ‘What happens if I break something and can’t get to a phone? Someone will discover my body eventually,’ I thought. So…I made a decision to take care of myself in a way that labeled me as “senior” in my mind. Setting vanity aside, I asked Jonah to do some research on medical alert systems and I am now the proud owner of a wristband, a lanyard and a compact portable GPS device to make me feel safe and sound when no one is around, no matter where I go.

Falling is embarrassing.

I find myself protesting to people on the street who want to help me when I’ve hit the dirt—“No, no…I’m okay. I got it. Thanks anyway.” But there’s no shame in it—just become more aware of what you’re doing that might put you in jeopardy. Be a little more cautious. Get a safety railing in your shower. As caregivers, we rush through everything and look for shortcuts. It only takes a little more time to watch what you’re doing.

Fall prevention– just another piece of self-care.

“An ounce of (fall) prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin (parenthetical addition is ours!)