Tips for Reducing Fall Risk for Your Senior Throughout Their Home
Each year throughout the United States more than 3 million older adults end up in the emergency room due to injuries they suffer as a result of falls.
In the same time frame, nearly 30,000 older adults die as a result of falls. Each year, more than 300,000 seniors are hospitalized with hip fractures as a result of falls, putting them at twice the risk of dying within the next calendar year. These statistics can be staggering, but as a family caregiver, it is extremely important to not only acknowledge them but to recognize the extreme importance of making preventing these falls, a central element of your care routine with your parent.
Homecare in Villa Hills KY: Reducing Fall Risk
There are many ways you can modify your senior’s surroundings and routine in their home to reduce fall risk, and protect their safety as they age in place.
Use these tips to reduce fall risk for your senior throughout their home:
-Remove floor coverings such as rugs or runners that are not even or that slide or slip easily.
-Identify areas of flooring that are uneven, such as thresholds or sunken rooms, and take steps to cover or smooth these areas, or to mark them so they are easier to notice.
-Add rubber grip pieces to the edge of steps to provide friction and more confidence in climbing up and down.
-Add lighting throughout the home to eliminate shady areas and make it easier to notice things such as corners or items on the floor.
-Keep items they use most frequently in the kitchen on the counter or shelves at waist height. This will allow your parent to avoid reaching, bending, stretching, or climbing, all of which can lead to your parent losing their balance and falling.
-Purchase items in smaller quantities, or transfer large quantities of items such as detergents into smaller containers that are easier for your parent to lift.
-Consider lowering their bed so their feet are securely on the ground when they sit on the edge.
-Install a walk-in tub or shower so your parent does not have to make a large step into and out of the tub.
-Consider a chair lift for the stairs.
As a family caregiver, it is easy for you to worry about your aging parents’ safety when they are home alone.
You know it’s important to your parent to be able to stay in their own home as they age or to transition into another home where they can maintain as much independence and autonomy as possible. Challenges and limitations such as mobility issues, balance problems, and even cognitive functioning decline, however, can threaten their safety, and make you worry about their ability to maintain this type of lifestyle. If you feel this way, now may be the perfect time for you to consider home care. Having an in-home senior care services provider in the home with your aging parent can ease your mind, and reassure you that your parent is safe and that their needs are being met even when you are not able to be with them.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Homecare in Villa Hills, KY, please contact the caring staff at Queen City Elder Care today. Serving Cincinnati and Surrounding Communities. Call Us Today (513) 510-4410.
Source:
Michele Vollmer is a visionary leader who is perpetually searching for ways to improve, so to remain at the leading edge of the home care industry.She has served in the healthcare industry since 1989, including pharmaceutical and home health sales, as well as hospice sales and sales management.
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