Frustrated at feeling less able.

They are very good fifeywifey- (jar opener) i got one attached already (removable for use) to an electric can opener- and when the opener broke i kept the rubber jar opener & keep it in cutlery drawer.i suppose you can buy them separately though.

Im only 56 but ive got so bad with osteoarthritis i can no longer do anything i used to.i started with it at 42 with just a clicking noise in one knee- now im awaiting a dble knee replacement & ive got it in my elbows& wrists too. So if you ever hear a joint clicking, go see Gp straightaway for a referral!

I too am nervous in case I need emergency help, living alone. I have installed a coded key box which is accessible, but not in view, on the side of my house
All friends and family have the code and although I may never need it, I feel a little more secure

I think you have a lot on your plate if you are looking after your husband and your grandkids, so you maybe are feeling stressed anyway. Have you ever tried doing Yoga(there are lots of Yoga classes online on You tube every day). Yoga is very good for strengthening the body, helps with balance and keeps it subtle, it a also relaxes the mind. The best thing to stop feeling old is to keep exercising, within reason!

Fear of falling, is not unreasonable in this dodgy time. Nobody, but nobody, wants to have to go to hospital.
I am terrified of breaking a tooth, as there are no dentists to go to, so it's not unreasonable to get a bit wobbly.
Also : why on earth does your husband smoke in the house anyway? It fouls the room, and endangers you.....

I forgot to add: you will feel the benefits in your stomach muscles as well.

Lear
I would imagine that you were tilting your head back when you were cleaning the shades? This is quiet normal. I have read that is to do with the inner ear.

On the subject of balance. I practice standing on one leg ( alternately) while I'm cleaning my teeth. I minute each leg.
I find it's easier to hold your heal against your bum cheek ( good for the hamstrings as well. You will start to wobble, but just focus and you will come back in balance. I'm 74.

Due to osteo arthritis theres a great deal I can not do anymore, I make a list for when my son comes to visit and get him to do the jobs I cant do. I actually gave my step ladder away a couple of years ago to stop myself using it as I was terrified I would fall. With being unable to have contact with him at this time I think the next list will be a very long one!

Please, please, those of you who are climbing ladders, especially those who live on their own, please, please, keep your mobile phone / phone with you at all time. Most of my house-wear (joggers) , have pockets and my mobile stays there 24/7

Someone should invent a wheeled version of your ladder, with a locking device once you’ve got it in position.

We have a loft ladder but OH doesn’t check that the bits that hold it firm are in place before climbing up it so it’s very rickety. When I use it I always double check to be on the safe side.

I have managed to persuade him that it isn’t essential to cut the front and back lawn in one day.

You have no idea how much I wish for online classes V3ra but our instructor is not a young person and has no wish to use the internet. It’s a shame as I miss the company and I suspect all the ladies feel the same. I do try to do pilates each day as there are lots of videos on YouTube.

I've never had good balance - gym was a nightmare at school, particularly trying to walk across those wretched bars - but a few years ago I fell and broke my arm, and the fear of falling again and doing something similar has made me so wary of ladders. I grip the bannisters going up and down the stairs, and if there are no handrails I hang on to the nearest person, whether they like it or not! I do sympathise - OH does all the bulb changing and step ladder jobs - what would I do without him?

Where possible use lamps instead of overhead light ?

I think I must have the same stepladder as you Septimia and Gwenisgreat it's very sturdy with three steps but it weighs a ton. This puts me off especially when it has to be moved from one floor to another. Very annoying.

Jocork this is the time to get round to it!!
I hate the way I am nowadays, I get wobbly up a little step ladder, but i did treat myself to a ladder that has a platform and handles, trouble is it's too heavy to carry very far. It was nearly 3 year's go that I was shoved off a pavement in York and landed on a cobbled road. My mobility has not completely recovered , but at 76 I suppose I have to live with it!

I too get very nervous on ladders and I'm only 65! I think it is living alone that makes it so bad as I know if I fell there is no-one there to help. Even if I have my phone nearby someone would have to break the door down to get in as the only people with keys live hundreds of miles away. I keep thinking I should give a key to someone local but never get around to it!

It’s something your body seems to tell you. I used to jump off the 18” high garden wall but now I am 70 something holds me back and I daren’t try it. I’ve noticed if I trip or anything I have more trouble regaining my balance. I have been digging out weeds with my spade in the garden and probably do more than someone a lot younger. However if I hand weed kneeling on the ground I have to climb up my spade to get up again!!

Bobdoesit my friend's Pilates classes are being held online now, something like that might keep you going.

Do the grandchildren live with you? My son and partner are both key workers - we are not allowed to look after them.

I'm turned 70, fit and healthy, very active but I've been aware over the last year or so of becoming a bit clumsy.
When sewing my fingers are not quite so nimble and I make silly mistakes in sewing and knitting. I'm now a teeny weeny bit anxious about tripping in the garden - I do a lot of gardening and there are paths laid with bricks (laid by me, DH has never done a scrap of gardening!) winding between some of the beds. They are a bit uneven in places and I'm thinking of taking them up for safety. So, yes, I've become more aware of my age recently but I can still walk for miles etc and do pretty well everything I've always done.

Well done you for doing what you do You really should ask your husband to smoke outside by the way. Your grandchildren should not be inhaling smoke. Also your lampshades and everything really would stay cleaner as the smoke stains everything.

Leah50 I’m 72 this year and happily climb ladders to clean lampshades although five years ago my balance was so awful I didn’t contemplate it. Then I discovered Pilates. I go to one class a week (well I did before lockdown). We are all ladies of a certain age, most of us struggle a bit! But the difference it’s made to my balance is remarkable. These days I clean my teeth and do the washing up while standing on one leg! Just for the practice, you understand! I would not have believed the difference if I had not tried it myself. It’s not a wonder cure it takes time, but a little bit of ‘balance work’ once a week truly helps. Maybe think about it when lockdown ends?

I have noticed too that at 68 my balance is impaired. When out for country walks when I was younger I was like a mountain goat but I tread very carefully now on uneven ground. What I really miss is strength in my hands and I am going to buy one of those aids for opening jar tops.

I broke a rib a few weeks ago and it has affected my mo ility enormously. I am trying to get more mobile again but finding it hard. I was already disabled following a car accident. I cannot emphasise too much how essential it is to keep things moving as you get older. The youngest of my grandchildren goes to school,in September so the looking after has stopped along with the virus.

Some helpful advice here.

Loss of balance is not due to anything you have done or omitted but happens to us all with age. The organ linked to our inner ear loses coordination with eyes and we need to balance by holding onto something.

an you get a neighbour or DGC (trust them, they will probably be proud to be of assistance) to give you a hand? People do seem to have woken up the needs of older neighbours now, so it might be a good time to ask for help.

Take care