Falls don’t “just happen,” and people don’t fall because they get older. Often, more than one underlying cause or risk factor is involved in a fall. A risk factor is something that increases a person’s risk or susceptibility to a medical problem or disease.

As the number of risk factors rises, so does the risk of falling. Many falls are linked to a person’s physical condition or a medical problem, such as a chronic disease. Other causes could be safety hazards in the person’s home or community environment.

Scientists have linked a number of personal risk factors to falling.

Muscle weakness, especially in the legs, is one of the most important risk factors. Older people with weak muscles are more likely to fall than are those who maintain their muscle strength, as well as their flexibility and endurance.

Your balance and your gait — how you walk — are other key factors. Older adults who have poor balance or difficulty walking are more likely than others to fall. These problems may be linked to a lack of exercise or to a neurological cause, arthritis, or other medical conditions and their treatments.

Blood pressure that drops too much when you get up from lying down or sitting can increase your chance of falling. This condition — called postural hypotension — might result from dehydration, or certain medications.

Some people with postural hypotension feel dizzy when their blood pressure drops. Other people don’t feel dizzy, even if their blood pressure drops a lot when they get up.

Your reflexes may also be slower than when you were younger. The increased amount of time it takes you to react may make it harder to catch your balance if you start to fall.

Sensory problems can cause falls, too. If your senses don’t work well, you might be less aware of your environment. For instance, having numbness in your feet may mean you don’t sense where you are stepping.

Not seeing well can also result in falls. One reason is that it may take a while for your eyes to adjust to see clearly when you move between darkness and light.

Confusion, even for a short while, can sometimes lead to falls. For example, if you wake up in an unfamiliar environment, you might feel unsure of where you are. If you feel confused, wait for your mind to clear or until someone comes to help you before trying to get up and walk around.

Some medications can increase a person’s risk of falling because they cause side effects like dizziness or confusion. The health problems for which the person takes the medications may also contribute to the risk of falls.

The more medications you take the more likely you are to fall. You should check with your doctor if you think your medications are causing dizziness or unsteadiness. Your doctor can tell you which drugs, including over-the-counter medicines, might cause problems. Do not change your medications on your own.

Be sure to talk with your doctor if you fall, as well. A fall could be a sign of a new medical problem that needs attention, such as an infection or a cardiovascular disorder. It could also suggest that a treatment for a chronic ailment, such as Parkinson’s disease or dementia, needs to be changed.

In what has become an annual event celebrating Valentine’s Day, a performance of “Love Letters” comes to Ventura senior nursing facilities for the residents to enjoy, despite the inevitable tears at the end.

Performed to packed houses for the last seven years by married couple Suz Montgomery and John Hankins, this year’s events were at Coastal View Healthcare Center and Aegis of Ventura. Montgomery also teaches at both facilities.

The play, by A.R. Gurney, is a favorite of famous actors and couples since it was written in 1988, partly because they don’t have to memorize anything, just act as they read. The letters occur over a 50-year time span from childhood to old age.

“We love to perform this for the seniors,” Montgomery said, “because a lot of them aren’t able to go out and see plays, but more important, the play strikes a chord and brings out memories of a time when love and affection was often conveyed in letters.”

“An email or tweet just doesn’t have the same impact,” Hankins added, quoting his character, Andy Ladd, who wrote: “This letter … is a present of myself to you … and you can tear me up and throw me out, or keep me, and read me today, tomorrow, any time you want until you die.”

The characters’ letters discuss their hopes, dreams, disappointments, victories and defeats that they experience throughout their separate lives. Even when they are married to others, they stay pen pals for life.

When the reading finished at both facilities, there were tears by both men and women for its poignant and heartfelt ending, but also smiles at sharing a long life with all its wonder. It also started to rain, inspiring one attendee to quip, “you made the sky cry!”

by Essie L. Landry Public Affairs Specialist Social Security Administration Sierra West Area

Social Security is constantly evolving to make our beneficiaries lives easier. If a person is currently receiving benefits from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and are reapplying for benefits, or are assisting someone with their application, a trip to the Social Security office is probably not necessary even if verification of Social Security benefits is needed.

When is a Good Time to Start Receiving Social Security Benefits? – Enjoying a comfortable retirement is everyone’s dream. For over 80 years, Social Security has been helping people realize those dreams, assisting people through life’s journey with a variety of benefits. It’s up to each individual when he or she can start retirement benefits. A person could start them a little earlier or wait until his or her “full retirement age.” There are benefits to either decision, pun intended.

Planning Will Help You See Green in Retirement – Social Security has been a cornerstone of financial security for over 80 years. As you might already know, a lifetime of measured discipline can ensure a comfortable retirement. Social Security can help individuals plan, save, and see plenty of green in their golden years.

You, Women’s History, and their Power of Social Security – March is Women’s History Month — a time to focus not just on the past, but on the challenges women continue to face. Nearly 60 percent of the people receiving Social Security benefits are women, and in the 21st century, more women work, pay Social Security taxes, and earn credit toward monthly retirement income than at any other time in our nation’s history. Knowing this, a woman can be the author of her own rich and independent history, with a little preparation.

Your Contributions Make Our Nation Stronger – At first, an individual seeing taxes taken out of his or her paycheck can be a little disappointing. However, the individual can take pride in knowing he or she is making an important impact each week when he or she contribute to Social Security. Understanding how important his or her contribution is takes some of the sting away because his or her taxes are helping millions of Americans — and protecting the individual and his or her family for life — as well as wounded warriors, the chronically ill, and disabled.