What is Vestibular Rehabilitation and how does it help our seniors

Elderly people often experience dizziness or other sensations that make them prone to ‘falls’ which can prove fatal sometimes. Sometimes this problem can be caused as a result of less or no physical movement at all and can be resolved with physical activity but sometimes it requires the interference of a vestibular rehabilitation therapist to fix this balancing issue among the seniors.

Today,  I will discuss what vestibular rehabilitation is and how it can help our beloved seniors to lead a good and comfortable life.

Our balance system is made up of Vision, Proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body), and the Vestibular system (which is the inner ear). When people age the perfect equilibrium between these three gets diminished and causes balance issues among seniors.

Vestibular Rehabilitation also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a specialized form of physical therapy used to treat balancing issues, posture, vision problems, and many more. Now, the question arises how will we know if our beloved elders need special attention regarding balance problems? The answer is: if we notice our aging parents or other senior members are finding it hard to maintain balance, especially when turning their head and crossing the street, or walking on uneven sidewalks then we should immediately seek specialist attention.

Hiring rehab assistance services from an elder care service in Kolkata can ease up your worries. The vestibular rehabilitation therapist will have a gait (manner of walk) and balance assessment of the elderly people.  Additionally, they will be asked to walk, turn their head, balance with eyes open or closed, and stand on an uneven surface. Also, the expert would ask additional questions about dizziness and other issues and will teach some exercises to fix the balancing issues of your loved ones. The exercises might include the following:

In bed or sitting: Eye movements (up and down, from side to side, focusing on fingers moving from three feet to one foot away from the face, etc.). Head Movements: (Bending forward and backward, turning from side to side, etc.)

Standing: Change from a sitting to a standing position with eyes open, then closed, etc. 

Moving: Walk-Up and down a slope Throwing and catching a ball etc.

Subsequent visits and doing the exercises regularly will help our beloved elders to cope with this and also help them to lead a comfortable life. Also, at home, we can take care of our loved ones by ensuring that they take extra precautions to avoid falls and trips such as:

⇒  Using night lamps or they should turn on the lights first while waking up during the night.
⇒  Getting up slowly from the bed and waiting at least for 30-60 seconds before standing.
⇒  Use a cane or a walker for stability if required.
⇒  Wearing spectacles and undergoing eye examinations once a year and if they wear bifocals we need to make sure that they are tilting their head down while descending stairs so that their vision doesn’t blur the steps,

This blog throws light on the process that we can follow to determine if our beloved seniors are facing some serious balancing issues and how we can find a solution for our loved ones' balancing problem through vestibular rehabilitation.