Older adultsPhysiotherapy
Monsoon floors: three balance habits for older adults
Wet stone, dark corridors and slippers that slide. Small habits that prevent the July fall.
Every July I see the same injuries: a wrist, a hip, a bruised confidence. The cause is almost never a dramatic slip. It is a polished floor near the door, a corridor with the light off, and a pair of rubber slippers that were fine in March. Three habits change the odds.
1. Change what is on your feet at the door
Wet chappals on a marble or Kota floor are the most common cause of a monsoon fall in the home. Keep a pair of dry, closed-heel indoor sandals at the door and change into them every time you come in. A shoe with a back is steadier than a slip-on because your toes stop gripping to keep it on.
2. Light the route to the bathroom
Falls at night cluster on the route from bed to bathroom. A plug-in night light in the corridor, left on from dusk, costs less than a hundred rupees. If you get up to pass urine more than twice a night, tell your doctor; that is treatable and it also cuts the risk.
3. Practise standing on one leg at the kitchen counter
Balance is a skill that fades when unused and returns when practised. The counter is the safest place: it is at hip height and you can hold it lightly.
Counter balance
- Stand at the counter with your fingertips resting on it, feet hip-width apart.
- Shift your weight onto one leg and lift the other heel just off the floor.
- Keep looking straight ahead, not down. Breathe normally.
- Lower, rest a moment, and swap sides.
- When 30 seconds feels easy, lift the fingertips off the counter but keep them close.
Stop if: You need to grab the counter more than once in a set. That is fine; just go back to fingertips for another week.