If you can only do one thing to keep your elderly family member from experiencing a fall, ensuring that her home environment is as safe and clean as possible is a good start. This is because your elderly family member’s home environment is what she will be moving around in the most, so she needs to have the space that she needs in order to be safe.

Keeping Your Senior’s Home Neat and Tidy Is Vital

There are a lot of factors involved in fall prevention, but if your elderly family member’s home is cluttered, dirty, and basically not easy for her to navigate, she’s far more likely to experience a fall. Take stock of what is going on right now in your elderly family member’s home so that you can assess what else needs to be done. Once you get her home in good shape, it’s easier to maintain that condition with the help of elder care providers.

Downsize, if Necessary

Your elderly family member may have more items in her home than she can realistically safely have there with her. It may be time to talk with her about how she should think carefully about what is in her home and what can be relocated. Opening up some space by reducing items is going to help your senior to be a lot safer.

Reorganize as Much as Possible

Once you know what items your elderly family member is keeping, it’s time to look at how those items are stored. Often a fall is not just because your elderly family member trips over something. She can also experience a fall because she’s standing on something to reach an item she needs. Home care providers can help your elderly family member to move items where they make more sense for her needs and where they’re safer.

Make Sure that Spills and Other Problems Are Handled Right Away

Another aspect of keeping your senior’s home clean is ensuring that spills and other problem areas are handled as soon as they happen. Elder care providers can make a huge difference for your senior with this aspect of maintaining her home. They can stay on top of what’s happening and what needs to be dealt with in order to keep your senior safe.

Reassess Your Senior’s Needs Often

Once you have your elderly family member’s environment in shape, it’s important to reassess her needs and her home periodically. This step is going to help you to ensure that as her needs change, you’re on top of the situation. Elder care providers can help you to do this as they notice changes in what’s happening with your senior. As soon as you notice potential problems, take action to address what you are able to change.

Talk with your elderly family member’s doctor about what else you can do to help prevent a fall for her. Understanding all of her risk factors is vital in order to ensure that she remains as safe as possible.

Source
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/index.html

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Minneapolis, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.