A recent study of 139
nursing home residents showed that male and female patients with diabetes were
more than four times more likely to experience a fall than patients who didn’t
have diabetes. The researchers suspect that diabetic neuropathy, or nerve
damage, was the main reason for the increase in falls. This type of damage
affects the sense of feeling in your feet, and may contribute to a loss of
balance.
Falls are one of the main
causes of death and disability among the elderly. If you have a loved one who
has diabetes and is in a nursing home, make sure to talk with the staff members
there about precautions they take to help prevent falls.
