The Preventable Life Crisis Black Women Don’t See Coming

Pay attention to these red flags to protect your sanity, your time, and the ones you love.

Published October 30, 2024

Have you taken measures to help prevent falls—for yourself or your loved ones? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

One day in 2003, Dawn E. Shedrick was watching her mother walk down the steps to get to her car. But as the older woman walked down the sidewalk with her cane—which she was using instead of her walker—she fell.

“I thought maybe she tripped on the sidewalk, but she said no. She said her legs just gave out,” Shedrick recalls today. “It took me a while to even be able to help her get up because she had lost feeling in one of her legs. It was really difficult for her to even stand.”

Afterward, Shedrick and her mother were “devastated” when that fall led doctors to see that her mother’s multiple sclerosis was progressing. And Shedrick, who was her mother’s primary and only caregiver at the time, would need to convince her mother to use a different mobility aid to avoid another accident—and to give even more of herself as a caregiver.

Just one fall can change everything in your life and in the lives of those you love. Although Shedrick’s mother had only bruising and scratches, her injuries could have been worse. And although things like neuromuscular disorders and car accidents can result in a loved one needing more caregiving, falls can, too.

In fact, medical conditions like hearing loss, vision loss, and heart disease can make a person more prone to falls. People with diabetes also have increased risk for falls, in part due to problems like nerve damage, foot problems, pharmacological complications, and reduced vision. Plus, general mobility issues can be a risk. For instance, 18.6 percent of adults age 18 and older had difficulty walking or climbing steps in 2023, with that number rising to 40.5 percent for those 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, if a person 65-plus does fall, the consequences can be serious and even deadly.

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That’s one reason why it’s important to pay attention to your loved ones and their mobility, especially as they age. If they fall and get hurt, it can not only be hard on them. It also can affect you—and bring stress and caregiving responsibilities as they (hopefully) heal. For instance, African American caregivers reported providing the most hours of care, at 31.2 hours on average per week versus 21.2 hours per week for white Americans, per a 2020 report from AARP.

“Falling usually just sets things off in a different path,” explains Shedrick, who also is a licensed social worker. “It can become really overwhelming at that point, emotionally, if this is somebody that you love and care about, but also practically, there’s going to be more required of the caregiver.”

So, watch out for these signs of a mobility issue. And understand what to do if you suspect a problem.

Potential signs of a mobility issue

Changes in walking. Because we lose muscle as we age, we also lose strength, and we can slow down, says Kalisha Bonds Johnson, Ph.D., RN, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with expertise in gerontology and caregiver well-being, the leader of her own research lab, and assistant professor on the tenure track at Emory University in Atlanta. “When we’re slowing down, there can just be complications around mobility,” she says. So if you see your loved one “shuffling,” slowing down more, walking with their feet wider apart, or just walking in a way that “looks different” (even if you’re not sure exactly how), she says, take note.

Physically tripping. Anyone can be clumsy. But if your loved one is tripping and catching themselves, Bonds Johnson says, it may be time to look at their environment or seek medical advice, such as from a physical or occupational therapist, so they can avoid completely losing their balance.

A previous fall. Falling in love can be cool. Falling on the floor is not. If your loved one has already taken a tumble (which can happen to any of us), do consider the aftermath, says Bonds Johnson. “Sometimes people fall, and they can get back up and they go on with their day to day. Some people fall and they don’t get back up, and that requires EMS coming out to the home to help with them; it requires hospitalization,” she explains.

Changes in activity. “Maybe they were going to church every Sunday, and now they’re not,” Bonds Johnson says, for example. While social changes can signal a number of issues, they may warrant a mobility evaluation, she says, since people may avoid activities they used to enjoy due to fear of falling.

Holding onto physical supports. Maybe they’re holding onto furniture to move around. Or they need other physical assistance, says Bonds Johnson, noting behaviors like hanging onto a grocery cart, or hanging onto you for support getting in and out of the car. Since you—and that cart—won’t always be around, they may need more help.

What to do if you suspect a mobility issue

Older adults, in particular, often “don’t want to be a burden,” and there may be some tension between their autonomy and your desire to keep them safe, says Bonds Johnson. So consider visiting your loved one in their environment. Then talk with them about any concerns. And, hey, have some fun, too.

“My grandmother lives in a whole other state. And so, when I come home, I try to spend at least two days—like 8 to 5, two days—with her,” says Bonds Johnson, explaining that if you don’t spend a full day, or even two or three full days, they might be on their “best behavior” with activities like cooking and cleaning. “It takes a little while for that newness of that person visiting to sort of wear off and for them to get back into the pattern and the routine that they’re in.”

You also may decide to record them walking, with permission—even if it’s from behind or just of their feet, says Bonds Johnson—so you can share video with their provider, if needed.

Even if you can’t visit, suggest a visit to a medical professional if you have concerns. And if your loved one is feeling dizzy, flag this. Here, a telehealth appointment can be helpful, because it can save them the effort of leaving home and allow the provider to see their environment, Bonds Johnson says.

And while you may be tempted to just order them a cane, a rollator (which has two handles and a place to sit), a walker, or some other mobility aid, Bonds Johnson notes an evaluation from a trained professional can help you both choose the right mobility device. A health care provider also can prescribe home health options such as a visiting physical therapist if needed, she says. Plus, looping in their provider can help with decision-making, and help you avoid guilt about how much autonomy to give, she says.

“For some older adults, it will be [just] one conversation about mobility,” says Bonds Johnson. “But there will be some families that one conversation won’t be enough, and you’ll have to have multiple conversations. You may even have to bring in that favorite grandchild or great-grandchild and niece, or whoever that older adult tends to listen to.”

In Shedrick’s case, back then, she was able to help convince her mother to start using her walker. Today, her mother can’t walk at all, but she’s flipping herself around in her motorized “Cadillac of wheelchairs.” And Shedrick is still her mother’s primary residential caregiver in their New York home, but she has gotten support from her family and a home health aide.

So don’t ignore potential mobility issues. You can help your loved one avoid injury, get around safely, and protect yourself from a heavier caregiving load, too.

Have you taken measures to help prevent falls—for yourself or your loved ones? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Leslie Quander Wooldridge is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has reached tens of millions of readers. She is the former senior editor of Sisters From AARP, where her work included reporting, writing, commissioning, editing, and posting content; advising on strategy; and developing and hosting live social media events. As a freelancer, she covers topics related to health and wellness, relationships, personal finance, and more, with her articles also appearing in outlets including AARP the Magazine, Business Insider, Consumer Reports, and Men's Health. Connect with her on social media platforms @lesliequander and at lesliequander.com.