When I ran to the store this morning I saw her again...the elderly lady who is there at least twice a week. She is beautifully dressed and coiffed, and she holds the shopping basket with a death grip as she wobbles along in her high heels. Her cane is discreetly hooked over the handle of the cart.

We've all seen her, or her sister or neighbor. She's the proud elderly lady who won't use a walker because it "makes her look old," and who wears her leather-soled high heels because that's how well-brought-up ladies dress to leave the house.

And she's at such high risk for a bad fall and a broken hip that I have to resist the urge to call 911 every time I see her.

Falls are the most frequent cause of fatal injury to older adults. If they aren't fatal, they often result in an injury that permanently destroys the elder's remaining quality of life.

Convincing an older person to wear safe footwear may be one of the most important things you will ever do to help prevent one of these falls.

A recent study compared the number of falls within a group either going shoeless or wearing various styles of shoes. They determined that athletic shoes (sneakers) were associated with the lowest risk of falling, while older adults going without shoes had the highest risk. Compared to athletic shoes, other footwear was associated with a 30 percent greater risk of a fall.

Note this again: A 30% greater risk of a fall for an older person wearing leather-soled shoes.
If you possibly can, encourage your mother, father, aunt, uncle, older friend to wear athletic shoes. The kind with the Velcro closures are easy to get on and off for those who have trouble managing ties - an added benefit. It might be an uphill battle, but the added safety is worth it.

You might have to buy your mother a new outfit or two to go with her new shoes...but it's a lot cheaper and more fun than paying for a nursing home if she falls and breaks a hip.