How Shoes Can Help Fight a National Health Crisis

Falls among the elderly are more serious than you think.

The first time Janice’s father fell, she knew they got lucky: no broken bones or injuries, just some bruises and a sore knee. But Janice also knew that when – not if – the next phone call came, her father may not be so lucky. A broken hip? Having to move into an assisted living facility? Something much worse?

Unfortunately, these are the sorts of questions that many families face each day. According to the National Council on Aging, an older adult is treated for a fall in the emergency room every 11 seconds.

A National Health Crisis…

What Janice and her father are dealing with are part of a much larger national health crisis of falls among the elderly population. And while it may sound over the top to suggest that something as simple as a fall could constitute a crisis, the data and statistics back it up:

What’s even more alarming is the simple fact that many family doctors or general practitioners don’t know how to help their patients who fall. Generally, they give simple advice like, "try to be more careful,” or “make sure you keep your living area tidy and remove tripping hazards."

And while that advice is good advice, which should be followed, there’s so much more that can be done.

…That Comes Close To Home

As far-reaching as the impact of falls can be on our healthcare system, the impacts can also be deeply personal. For Janice, it meant a difficult conversation with her father and tough decisions about what he could do to keep from falling again. For her father, it meant watching his independence start to slip away.

Janice’s father was a proud man and didn’t want his daughter to worry about him. That’s why he didn’t tell her that he stopped going on his daily walks through the local park, opting instead to stay home for fear of falling in public. And while at home, he started spending more and more of his time indoors, away from his gardening.

For many who fall, the emotional impact of the fall can be the worst part: bruises and soreness will eventually go away, and even broken bones can heal. But the fear and anxiety of falling again can be permanent, and it can keep people from living an active and independent life.

How a Pair of Shoes Can Help

Footwear has long been considered a risk factor in falls. Ill-fitting shoes, shoes that don’t provide an appropriate level of support or slip-resistance and shoes that are improperly worn can increase the likelihood of a fall. In fact, a 2008 study found that "footwear has been identified as a risk factor for both indoor and outdoor falls."

The idea of getting a better pair of shoes for her father intrigued Janice, so she started asking friends for suggestions.

Janice first heard about the Apex Balance Shoe from a friend who had recently bought a pair for an elderly family member. Designed to mitigate the risk of falls by improving postural stability, providing proprioceptive sensory feedback to the wearer and providing trip avoidance with a smooth outer sole and angled toe, Apex Balance Shoe was just was Janice was looking for.

And, what was even more appealing, there was solid science to back it all up.

For Janice and her father, the best part about the Apex Balance Shoe was that it could give her father the opportunity to start venturing out of the house again. It wasn’t just that the Apex Balance Shoe could help her father avoid falls, it was that the shoe could gave him back his independence.

Janice ordered a pair of Apex Balance Shoes for her father from Apex Foot Health Industries. Shortly after the shoes arrived, it became clear that the Apex Balance Shoe was a game-changer. Her father felt confident and began going on morning walks again. He also started tending his garden again, something he had given up because he was afraid of falling outside.

The Apex Balance Shoe was designed by a team of doctors, pedorthists and foot experts specifically to mitigate fall risk and help people like Janice’s father to live active, healthy and independent lives. Featuring a slip-resistant sole that exceeds industry standards for slip-resistance, a textured insole for sensory feedback that also provides support and stability, along with a low-profile heel for maximum postural stability, the Apex Balance Shoe is the ideal shoe for anyone looking to avoid falls.

Apex Foot Health has been in business since 1946, offering premium products that help people enjoy a life of independence and freedom from pain. But to Apex, it’s more than a business – helping others stay healthy and active is a responsibility. That’s why all their footwear, socks and compression hosiery are designed and manufactured – from start to finish – in consultation with foot health experts, pedorthists and doctors.