Falls among the elderly are the most dreaded events. We all have heard stories of someone who fell, broke their hip and never recovered. They were destined to live the rest of their days in a nursing home.
When her mother fell the first time Katie’s life turned upside down. “It was awful” she told me. “ Not only the physical rehabilitation but the emotional effects it had on both of us. Mom broke her hip but she also broke her spirit! This once feisty, I can do anything lady, was now afraid to do anything. Her fear of falling again was so great that it stopped her from living life.”
Katie told me her mother had become clingy wanting Katie to be with her at all times. She was terribly afraid of being alone. “What if I fall again! I will have to lay on the floor and wait for help.” Nothing Katie said could seem to console her.
All Falls May Not Be Prevented
The truth is nobody can guarantee that you will never fall again. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention these startling facts are true.
- 25% of Americans aged 65+ falls each year.
- Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall.
- The # 1 Cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.
- Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths.
What Can Be Done To Help Prevent These Falls?
This is the question Katie and thousands of other adult children want to know. Furthermore, we also want to see our parents become independent once again. We do not want to see the fear of falling prevent them from living and enjoying life again.
Putting Mom in a Bubble
John, Katie’s brother wanted to fix everything. “Her fall scared him as much as it did her” Katie said. “John, was determined that we needed to protect her at all costs. He wanted to move mom into an assisted living facility where he felt she would be safe”
Katie knew that doing that would only break her mother’s spirit even more. And the truth was, an assisted living facility could not guarantee that mom would never fall again. Short of sticking her in a bubble and not allowing her to go anywhere or do anything, there really did not seem to be a solution.
Building Confidence
Katie’ mom Doris needed some assistance. That was evident. And she needed help building her confidence. So Katie called SYNERGY Homecare for an assessment of her unique situation. Katie, John and Doris were all at the meeting.
What they discovered was that this home care company had a lot of knowledge and resources available to help them. Experts at Fall prevention, SYNERGY HomeCare had some great suggestions to help Mom get “back on her feet!”
Tip # 1- De Clutter the House.
A lot of times seniors need help organizing and removing the clutter from their homes. Carol’s Mom Edythe had really bad arthritis. Moving was difficult. Sometimes just picking up after herself was more of a chore that she could master. But the disorganization and the clutter just made getting around in her home more difficult.
A Professional Organizer To Help
Her daughter hired an organizer to help them get her home in order. The organizer specialized in working with older adults. Understanding her physical limitations, she came up with a plan. She made the items Edyth used regularly more accessible. Items that were rarely or never used were given a new home. Then with the help of a caregiver each week Edythe was able to keep things in their place. Likewise, she was able to move around her home with much more ease.
Tip # 2 Create Space
Doris used a walker. But her home had a lot of furniture and other items that often made it harder to navigate. The team asked Doris if there were any pieces of furniture she felt she could do without to make her home easier to get around in. She was very open to the idea and together with her children identified several items that she no longer needed. John took the items out of the house and placed them in the garage until the family could decide what to do with them.
Tip # 3- Two Types of Care At Home
Bringing in help was a must. Katie had to work and also had a husband and teenage daughter at home. She already decided that she needed SYNERGY HomeCare at least a few days a week. Mom needed someone to drive her places. She also needed help to grocery shop , prepare meals and to help her in and out of the shower.
But Katie also discovered that mom would qualify for Home Health Care. Home Health care, is different from home care. If covers the medical part, stuff like physical and occupational therapy at home. Her doctor would need to write the order and Medicare would pay. The representative from the home care company said the physical therapy could help Doris to gain better strength and balance. This would give her the confidence she needed to get back on her feet.
Tip # 4-Get Rid of The Rugs
While you may love that beautiful rug by the bed or in your hallway it could become a trip hazard. Either get rid of the rugs or make sure they are secured well to the floor.
Tip # 5 – Add Grab Bars
This is an absolute must! If you have Home Health Care come to the home they can suggest where to place the bars. Correct placement will help Mom to stay safe. This is a very inexpensive fix that Mom will thank you for.
Tip #6 -Let In The Light
Good lighting is so important. Make sure you have table lamps. Also add floor lamps. They can really brighten up a space. Use motion seniors and touch sensors to turn on lights. Arthritic hands often have trouble turning on a switch on a lamp.
Automatic night lights are also a must. You will also want to explore different types of bulbs to see which one works the best for you. If mom has low vision consider a “full spectrum” CFL bulb. This type of bulb increases contrast and clarity and reduces glare.
Tip#7- Be Careful Around Your Fur Babies
“I can’t prove it” Karen fumed “But I know moms cat has been responsible for some of her falls. She weaves in and out between your legs. I have almost tripped a few times and I am a lot steadier on my feet. I also noticed that bending down to feed the cat sometimes causes Mom to lose her balance. But what can I do? She loves that cat!”
We do so love our fur babies! And the truth is they provide a lot of love and companionship. Ideally it would be great if a family member could take the cat to their home. That way Mom could still visit. But if she is really attached that may not be an option.
Your Home Care Worker Could Help.
Your caregiver can feed a cat or dog so mom doesn’t have to bend over. One less chance of losing her balance and falling. Your caregiver can even walk a dog or go with mom on the walk to assist if needed. A lot of falls happen close to home but outside.
Another option to consider is kenneling the pet at night. That way if mom gets up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom she won’t trip over her “fur baby” lying on the floor.
While there is no magic solution to keeping mom safe from falls these 7 tips can help her avoid some common hazards.
