How to Prevent Falls in the Home for Elderly Patients

Preventing Falls Falls are a leading cause of injury among older people, and can be a significant consideration in senior health care. The older we are, the more things that might seem unsafe weakened muscles, failing vision, hazards around the home. Stop falls before they ’stop’ you Preparing for a fall Common sense and positive thinking With a few simple ideas and positive thoughts, you can reduce your risk of falling. And we provide some guidance, in this guide, on how to make the home safer, and on how to establish a routine that, day by day, decreases the risk of falling.

Why Falls Are a Serious Risk for the Elderly

Falls in the elderly have serious implications. That fall could be one resulting in fractures, a head injury or a fall that leaves someone debilitated. The injuries are commoner in older people in part because their bones break more easily, but also because the body takes longer to repair itself. Furthermore, psychological consequences are also causing poorer quality of life due to fear of falling directly related to a fall.

There is also the risk of long-term disability that could result in assisted living or nursing care. So fall prevention is a critical part of seniors’ health, both its physical and mental aspects.

What to Do When Elderly Keep Falling

If the older person in your life is still falling, it’s time to deal with whatever’s causing the falls. Here are a few steps to take:

Consult with a Doctor:  Chronic falls can be a signal of an underlying health problem, such as balance problems, a vision issue or a neurologic condition such as Parkinson’s disease. A comprehensive medical exam can be helpful for ruling in or ruling out causes.

Adjust Medications:  Certain drugs make you wobbly and may mess with your coordination. Your doctor can determine whether any of your medications need to be adjusted.

Improve Strength and Balance:  You should practice strengthening and balance exercises. Weak muscles are one of the leading causes elderly people fall.

Use Assistive Devices:  Seniors love canes and walkers and grab bars to give them just enough assistance with a fall.

Common Causes of Falls in Older Adults

Knowing the cause of falls is the key to prevention. There are all sorts of reasons why old people might fall, such as:

• Muscle And bone weakness As a person ages, muscle mass may decrease and bones could become weaker, which can in turn make it harder for a person to remain balanced and stable.
• Some medications can make you drowsy, decrease your blood pressure or make you feel dizzy, this can make you more likely to fall.
• With impairment of your vision, you may not see things in your path, such as obstacles and changes in floor level, increasing your risk for tripping.
• Clutter on the floor, floors that are a mishmash of flooring types, lighting that is poor, no handrails or grab bars are all in-home hazards to falling.

Modifications in the Home to Prevent Falls

Some of these may be revealed and modified through simple do-it-yourself adjustments at home to lower your risk of falling. Here are some measures to take to ensure the home stays secure:

Room-by-Room Fall Prevention Tips

• Living room: Make sure there is plenty of space to make your way around, open walkways (not having-to-squeeze-by-the-furniture tight). Roll up your rugs, or cover with nonskid mats, so you don’t trip.
• Bathroom: Put grab bars near the toilet and in the shower. The non slip pad to keep it safely in place on the shower without rocking on the wet floor.
• Stairways: Provide handrails on both sides of all steps. And consider lights embedded in steps that come on when you step on them, to light your way on dark nights.

Must-Have Safety Equipment for Seniors

But there are things you can do to help make your home safer for older people:

• Hand Rails: They can be installed in bathroom and hallway to assist walking.
• Shower Seats: It provide a way for seniors to sit while in the tub to diminish the risk of a fall.
• Non-Slip Mats and Rugs: Make sure all mats and rugs are non-slip to prevent trips and falls.

Daily Habits and Lifestyle Changes That Help

There’s a daytime routine that’s important to preventing falling. Some tweaks to the daily routine can make a difference:

• Foot wear: Most older people should wear non skid soled shoes instead of walking in socks or slick soled slippers.
• Lights: It may seem obvious, but make sure there’s enough light in all rooms (hallways, stairs and bathrooms in particular). Install motion-sensor lights that only turn on at night.
• De-Clutter: Remove tripping hazards from the floor, including cords, wires, boards, and bundles of magazines or papers.

Creating a Safe Routine Around the Home

And you can help set your loved one’s routine in a way that incorporates the habits we just covered, naturally.

• Your can’t hallow all the time; sit a little to rest.
• Oh, and you don’t want to stand up too fast or you’ll get dizzy.

Balance and Strengthening Exercises

When it comes to the many factors that can contribute to aging and falling, the burden often falls on the elderly to break out of their sedentary lifestyles. Strength training Seniors can improve balance and decrease risk of falling by strengthening muscles.

Balance, strength and flexibility are best for avoiding falls. Some examples include:

• Tai Chi: Tai chi is a gentle type of martial arts, which means that it could help you achieve better balance and flexibility.
• Take walks: This will encourage the muscles in the legs to continue to work and contribute to enhancing balance.
• Strength Training: Working about the legs which would be leg lifts, squats, lunges will also take care of the legs, also when you work on the legs, it also help for the balance.

Easy Ways for Seniors to Train Balance on a Daily Basis

• Balance on one Foot: Seniors can benefit from clenching onto something stationary while they do this.
• Heel-to-Toe Walk: Walking heel to toe in a straight line (meaning, the heel of one foot comes down just in front of the toes of the other foot) is good practice for your balance.

Conclusion

Although a fall that happens in the home can have devastating consequences, it is frequently preventable through home modifications or adjustments to lifestyle. Ensuring that your home has the right safety devices, encouraging older adults in your life to get stronger and maintain better balance and keeping an open line of communication with both family and caregivers can still go a long way when it comes to preventing falls. These can do a lot to minimize falls and to keep your loved one yet active.

If you are also interested to find some specialized care and a home that cares, then approach to the Precious Pear Home Health Care services who is fully expert in helping the senior to have a tender home.

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