If your elderly family member experiences even one fall, that makes her twice as likely to have another fall, usually soon afterward. That’s a big issue for aging adults, since falls can lead to extremely serious injuries. The best way around this issue is to do all that you can to help your senior to avoid falls in her home. These ideas can get you started, but remember that you need to continually reassess your elderly family member’s environment for safety.
Clear Her Environment
Environmental factors are a huge fall risk for seniors. If your elderly family member has a lot of clutter or simply has more furniture than she needs in a given area, it might be time to clear some things to make a better path for her. Often seniors don’t realize that their environment does need to change in order to accommodate changes in their health. That can make these changes hard for her to accept at times.
Make Sure She’s Eating Properly
When your elderly family member isn’t eating properly, that’s a big problem. First, she’s got fewer nutrients that her body needs. That can very quickly lead to muscle loss and weakness. The next problem is that her blood sugar levels might be lower than they should be, which can lead to dizziness and a fall. Having home care assistance with meals can make a huge difference in keeping your senior eating well.
Talk to Her Doctor
Understanding your senior’s fall risks is more important than ever before. Talk with your senior’s doctor about what makes her more likely to experience a fall so you can focus on the bigger priority issues first. It’s also important to know whether it’s alright for your elderly family member to exercise some. Becoming stronger helps her to avoid falls, so starting even a very rudimentary exercise program can help.
Adjust Lighting
If your elderly family member can’t see well, that’s a huge problem when it comes to avoiding a fall. Often the problem is simply that the lighting isn’t adequate to help her to see what’s going on around her. Simply by increasing the lighting in your senior’s home, you might be able to help her to feel more stable on her feet.
Enlist the Help of Home Care Assistance
Elder care providers can also make your senior to feel more stable and safer in her home. Home care assistance providers have experience in noticing unsafe conditions and correcting those or letting you know what needs to be corrected. Caregivers can also help your elderly family member to handle all of the normal daily tasks that might cause her to wear herself out, which can also be a fall risk.
Ensuring that your elderly family member has the highest quality of life possible also means helping her to avoid injury whenever possible. The biggest cause of injury in elderly people is a fall, so doing all that you can to avoid a fall is going to help your senior to stay healthier overall.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Aurora, CO, call the caring staff at SYNERGY Home Care of Denver today. 303-756-9322
