How To Reduce Falls and Accidents at Home for Seniors
Falls are a serious hazard for seniors. Even in cases of falls that do not result in hospitalization, seniors often suffer long-term physical, mental, and emotional harm. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent falls before they happen.
At Visiting Angels of Chelsea, our team of in-home senior care professionals can help your loved one stay safe while enjoying their golden years at home.
In this article, we’ll look at how falls affect seniors, things that cause falls, and ways you can help your senior loved one keep their balance. Additionally, we’ll discuss the ways in which our Safe and Steady Fall Prevention Program can help bolster your loved one’s safety at home.
Why Falls Are Dangerous for Seniors
As the aging process progresses, people’s bodies become weaker and more susceptible to injury. Weakened bones, atrophied muscles, and slowed healing all make injuries much more serious when they occur.
Falls, in particular, can lead to broken bones, head and brain injuries, lacerations, and more. However, physical injuries are not the only consequences of falls.
Often, seniors who fall become deeply fearful and may withdraw from social situations. This can, in turn, lead to depression and severe isolation.
What Makes Seniors Susceptible to Falls?
As we touched on earlier, aging weakens the body. Stiff joints, weak muscles, poor vision, impaired balance, cognitive problems, and other symptoms of aging are all risk factors for falls. If a senior cannot safely navigate their home physically, falls can become a recurring problem and lead to further complications. In fact, data shows that a senior’s first fall makes it far more likely that they will fall again in the future.
On top of physical and cognitive challenges, there may also be environmental hazards in your senior loved one’s home that can make falls more likely.
For instance, loose rugs, clutter on the floor, poorly laid out furniture, and similar tripping hazards can make it far more difficult for your loved one to get around their home safely.
Similarly, if your loved one’s home is not adequately lit, it can be difficult to spot tripping hazards while navigating the home after dark.
While it can be hard or completely unfeasible to remedy the aforementioned physical challenges that lead to falls, there are many solutions that can effectively address any potential environmental hazards in your elderly loved one’s home.
Ways To Prevent Falls At Home
There are many simple ways to help make your senior loved one’s home a safer environment.
First, clean up any clutter on the floor, and create a regular tidying routine to ensure that their home stays clean.
Assess the layout of your senior loved one’s home, and adjust their furniture as needed to make it as easy as possible for them to navigate their home.
You can also add safety features to your loved one’s home like additional lighting, grab bars, lifted toilet seats, and non-slip mats.
If you’d like additional help keeping your loved one safe from falls, our team at Visiting Angels of Chelsea is here to help! We can help with fall-proofing your loved one’s home, provide mobility assistance, and lend a helping hand with day-to-day tasks your loved one struggles with.
Learn More About Our Fall Prevention Services!
If you are interested in finding out more about how we can help keep your loved one safe from falls, give us a call at Visiting Angels of Chelsea at 617-409-9039 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free in-home care consultation. We look forward to helping your loved one live a safe and joyful life at home!