Taking care of our beloved seniors is a wonderful, yet responsible job. It is, in a way, a means to repay all the love and care you’d been given while growing up and becoming the person you are today.
As much love and effort you put into it is not the easiest job to do, especially if you are all by yourself. The topic that will be discussed in the following text are ways to prevent injury of seniors caused by falls.
This is a rather common problem both in the US and the rest of the world and it is our duty to give you enough info so that you can be prepared to deal with these situations.
Experts at A Better Way in Home Care have comprised a list of most common issues causing our elderly citizens to fall, and how to avoid them.
Factors Affecting Seniors’ Movement
- An aged human body is often accompanied by a loss of balance and coordination and an overall weakening of the muscles and bones which is one of the potential fall risks.
- Their vision might also be impaired which puts even more danger in obstacles on the road making them harder to notice and avoid.
- Weather and environment also play an important role because there is potentially nothing more dangerous than letting your senior take a walk on a frozen road during winter. Similarly, overheating can lead to dizziness and falls, providers of senior care in Los Angeles often point this one out.
- Medications that alter motor functions or cause dizziness should also be taken into consideration.
- Chronic conditions bear significance if they prevent the elderly from functioning normally throughout the day by hindering their movement or in any other way increase the risk of falling.
Transparent Communication
This segment is rather important for both parties. The elderly should be able to express their concerns about falling so that you can gather as much information as you can and devise a strategy accordingly.
They should feel free to talk to you or a professional and indicate all aspects that might worry them, or any fears that they feel might prevent them from moving freely.
You, on the other hand, should discuss their current issues they are facing regarding their health; medication intake and how they feel after taking them, are there any side effects or if they are having any difficulties performing their daily routines.
All these conversations will make your life much easier and help you overcome much of the obstacles, both literal and figurative.
Eye Examination
If they wear glasses or have any sort of vision impairment, you need to make sure they visit their doctor regularly and that they are using the correct glasses. Some lenses which adapt to changing of light might cause some problems when switching suddenly from a very bright to very dark light conditions and might need some time adjusting.
Pay Closer Attention to How They Move
Have you noticed any changes in the way your loved ones move around the house? Are they having trouble standing up and walking and therefore using furniture or various object in the house to lean on?
These just might be some signs to warn us it’s to see a professional physical therapist who is going to help them improve their overall physical condition by introducing exercise if they see fit. Adding a stick or a walker to their daily routine if needed greatly reduces the risk of falling.
Check If Their Home Is a Safe Environment
There are a few upgrades you can install in seniors’ house to make their lives much easier, either by yourself or you can hire professionals.
You can ensure that the house is properly lit and even go a step further and get automatic lights. See to it that the stairs are properly secured with rails to provide help when moving up and down.
Bathrooms should not be overlooked. You can put bars inside the bathroom to ease movement in/out of the shower and make the toilet more accessible. A shower chair is also a good solution.
