Have I had my vision, footwear, and medications reviewed for fall risk?

The Answer

What This Looks Like in Real Life

Your mother has worn the same pair of backless slippers since 1987. The soles are worn smooth. The backs flop down when she walks, so her heels slide in and out with every step. You buy her a pair of supportive slip-ons with grippy soles for her birthday. She thanks you politely and puts them in the closet. The old slippers are by the back door the next morning. The instinct is to throw the old ones away. The better move is to ask why the new ones do not feel right. "Are they too tight? Too hot? Do they look like something you would not want to be seen in?" The answer is almost never "I want to fall." It is usually about comfort, ritual, or how something feels on the body after thirty-eight years of muscle memory. While you are at it, ask if she would be willing to bring her full medication list — prescriptions, over-the-counter, and supplements — to her next doctor's appointment for a fall-risk review. Offer to come with her. The combination of better shoes, an updated vision check, and a medication review is the trifecta most likely to actually move the needle.

What to Do Next

1. Schedule a full eye exam — not just a glasses check. Ask specifically about depth perception, peripheral vision, and cataract progression if applicable.
2. Replace soft backless slippers with supportive shoes that have non-slip soles and a closed back. Wear them inside the house, not just outside.
3. Bring every medication — prescriptions, over-the-counter, and supplements — to the next primary care or pharmacist visit and ask for a fall-risk review focused on dizziness, drowsiness, and orthostatic blood pressure changes.
4. Bring a loved one to the appointment. A second set of ears catches what gets said, what gets asked, and what gets missed.
5. Frame the conversation as routine optimization: "Vision, shoes, and meds — three things worth checking once a year." That lands very differently than worry.