Fall Prevention
Let Assisting Hands Home Care Wilmington Prevent In-Home Falls
Falls are the leading cause of injury death among individuals over 65 years of age, according to the CDC. Illnesses, medications, and environmental factors can all affect strength and balance, contributing to a fall. If someone you love has fallen once, there’s data to suggest that 75% of those who fall do so again within 6 months. Beginning at the age of 63, the number of deaths from falls starts to increase with dramatic increases at the age of 70. But shouldn’t we expect seniors to fall as they age due to balance and strength conditions? In fact, falls aren’t a normal part of the aging process. They can be prevented.
Select the Care You Need
Assisting Hands Has Some Timely Advice to Prevent In-Home Falls:
First: Talk with your loved one’s doctor about falls and managing any medical conditions, including reviewing medication types and amounts. Make sure your loved one takes prescribed medications, and follow medication dosages closely. Using medication incorrectly may lead to dizziness, so be especially aware of medication changes, and talk with your loved one’s doctor about symptoms. Most importantly, make sure your loved one doesn’t stop taking any medications without consulting the doctor!
Second: Make sure your loved one’s home is as safe as possible by changing adverse environmental factors. We provide a home inspection during our free consultation!
Take some practical steps such as:
- Encouraging your loved one to wear shoes with nonskid soles (not house slippers or sandals)
- Making sure the home is well lit in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and stairways so your loved one can see things he or she might trip over, and using night lights in the bedroom, bathroom, hallways, and stairways
- Removing throw rugs and tacking down loose carpet edges
- Keepingthe floor clear and removing electrical cords across pathways
- Installing grab bars in the bathtub, shower, and toilet area
- Install handrails on both sides of stairways.
- Discouraging your loved one from climbing on stools and stepladders
- Keeping the floors clean of liquids and not waxing the floors
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Third: Think about home care, especially if your loved one has fallen before and has difficulty getting out of bed or up from a chair. You may want to consider an in-home caregiver to help with transfers, climbing, and walking (the cost of a caregiver is typically 1/3 the cost of a nursing home.) Or you may want to talk with a physical therapist about starting a strengthening program and home safety screen. All of Assisting Hands’ home aides are specially trained in fall prevention.
Illnesses, medications, and environmental factors can all affect strength and balance, contributing to a fall. The best predictor of a future fall is a history of falls. Talk with your loved one’s doctor, encourage your loved one to begin exercising with professional guidance, and consider hiring a caregiver from Assisting Hands Home Care Wilmington to help with risky tasks.
Contact Us
For more answers to your questions, please give us a call directly at (781) 730-6972 and we’ll be happy to help!
