Falls are a massive issue for seniors in terms of health and overall well-being as they age in place. Falls can lead to injuries, hospital stays, and even a loss of independence if the fall is bad enough. Senior home care services can do so much to help seniors avoid experiencing even one fall. Here are some of the safety strategies that home care can help seniors adopt.
Understanding the Need for Fall Prevention
The first step in helping seniors avoid a fall is for them to understand why fall prevention is so vital. Because falls are such a huge health issue for aging adults, it’s vital that seniors understand that falls are the cause of some serious injuries. Fractures, head trauma, soft tissue damage, and more can all result from a fall. Some of these injuries can be so severe that seniors have to spend time in the hospital or even have surgery. After a fall, seniors may experience decreased mobility, reduced quality of life, and even loss of confidence in their own abilities.
Common Risk Factors for Senior Falls
So many different risk factors can lead to falls for aging adults. Environmental factors, like hazards at home or clutter, are easily fixed. Senior home care services can help aging adults keep their environments safer. Physical factors, like age-related changes, reduced mobility, and health conditions can all play a role. Understanding what might potentially be a fall risk for seniors is the first step in reducing their impact.
Preventing Falls with Senior Home Care Services
Home care providers first work with families to understand fall risk factors and then do a home safety assessment. This means going through the home and looking at what can be modified, changed, or corrected in order to reduce fall risk. Sometimes this might mean that seniors need to use assistive devices, like walkers or shower chairs, to be safer at home. It might also mean making modifications to the home, like adding handrails in specific areas.
Adding Exercise to the Mix
Talking to the senior’s doctor is also important. Some solutions might be easier than expected, like adding exercise to the equation. If seniors are cleared to move more and haven’t been doing so, then they might be losing more strength and muscle tone than they realize. Starting an exercise plan can help them to regain what they’ve lost and prevent a fall because they’re stronger.
Checking Vision and Hearing
Vision and hearing are more important than many seniors realize when it comes to avoiding a fall. Regular checks of both can help seniors to understand how those changes might be contributing to fall risk and can ensure they have corrective tools to counter those problems. Adding solutions like brighter lighting may even be helpful.
There are so many different ways that senior home care providers might assist aging adults with fall prevention. Understanding what might impact each individual senior’s ability to avoid a fall is the first step in putting together a full plan.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Minnetonka, MN and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
