The “Parachute” program provided at the Baudin day hospital in Limoges allows seniors to strengthen their balance to prevent falls. #TheyHaveTheSolution
The pace is still hesitant, but little by little they are regaining their self-confidence. That day, at the Baudin hospital in Limoges, a small group of elderly ladies meet to follow the “Parachute” program.
They are between 76 and 89 years old, their fear: falling at home or losing their balance in the street. “Falls, I’ve had them! Seven breaks in three years. So, balance, I needed it. As I have osteoporosis, the slightest fall, I’m broken” testifies Denise Mangeot, 82 years old. “I walk badly, I don’t lift my feet enough and so, one step, it’s enough that I don’t lift my leg enough and I leave” says Liliane Boulesteix, 76 years old.
To benefit from this program, patients are referred by their doctor or the aging prevention unit of the Limoges University Hospital.
Multidisciplinary activities
For two months, over two half-days, these ladies carry out a set of exercises that particularly emphasize adapted physical activity. The sessions are supervised by physiotherapists, sports instructors and ergonomists.
“The idea is to work on everything related to muscle strengthening of the lower limbs. The more muscular the lower limbs, the more easily the person will balance and be independent in their daily life”explains Jason Vergeaud, teacher in adapted physical activity.
“The more we work on balance, the more we will gain. We work on the height of the step with the hedges, the width. For example, if you hit a sidewalk, you are more likely to fall if you don’t don’t have those balance reflexes”, adds Manon Bernard, physiotherapist masseur.
Other workshops, more theoretical, are also given during the program. An ergonomist explains to them, for example, how to arrange their home to prevent falls. UA psychologist also comes to evoke the fear of relapse which sometimes leads to isolation. “People are not relaxed. In general, they no longer dare to go out, they lose muscle, so they reduce their activity. It’s a vicious circle” explains Anne-Céline Beaubiat, psychologist.
The plague of the falls
Every year in France, falls lead to more than 10,000 deaths and 100,000 hospitalizations among people over 65.
Three million elderly people living at home fall each year. The consequences are often synonymous with loss of autonomy. A real public health problem. For the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region alone, for example, in 2020 there were 17,658 hospital stays for falls and 1,146 deaths.
“30% of people over 65 have a fall problem. There are 10,000 deaths per year related to falls in France. It’s huge!”, deplore the Dr Mamadou Touré, head of the fall prevention unit at the Baudin day hospital.
To fight against this scourge,n national fall protection plan was launched in 2022. Objective: reduce the number of fatal falls by 20% by 2024.
