Falls are truly dangerous for aging adults and if your elderly family member has not fallen yet, there are still things you can do to prevent that first fall. Once a person falls, they’re twice as likely to fall again, and that’s something that you want to avoid if possible. Here are some things to know about falls, and how senior care can help.
As your senior ages, falls become much more likely for her to experience. There are lots of reasons for this, including health issues, decreasing vision, mobility problems, and even a higher risk of things like dehydration. There’s a lot for your elderly family member to keep up with in order for her to be safe, healthy, and to have the quality of life that she wants to have.
It’s worth the time to look around your senior’s home and determine if anything needs to change. Does she have a lot of clutter, especially on the floor? That can be a huge tripping hazard. How about her lighting? That might need to be improved to help her to feel more confident. Safety in the bathroom is important, too. Installing grab bars and making sure that anti-slip mats are in and around the tub can greatly improve safety.
Your elderly family member might be used to hopping up out of bed or from her favorite chair and just going and doing. If her health has changed or if her vision has changed, she may not be able to do that anymore. It’s important that she’s more mindful of her surroundings and that she’s paying close attention to what’s going on around her.
As your elderly family member’s health changes, so too do the medications that she takes. Some of the medications that she may have taken for a long time could be giving her different or increased side effects now because of changes in her body chemistry. Scheduling a medication review with your senior’s doctor gives everyone involved a chance to look at how her medications are impacting her.
This is a lot to manage, both for you and your senior. It helps a great deal to have senior care providers available to keep up with safety concerns, to remind your elderly family member to use assistive devices, and so much more.
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