How to Avoid Slip and Fall Accidents at Home
Elderly adults don’t always have good balance or strong muscles to reduce their risk of suffering an injury if they should fall. Many factors contribute to some seniors that are not very steady on their feet, including illness, injury or chronic conditions. When elderly adults reach the point in their lives where they need assistance from family caregivers and home care aides to get through daily living tasks, everyone needs to be mindful of how to avoid slip and fall accidents at home.
Senior Care Wellington FL: Accidents at Home
Contributing Factors for Slip and Fall Accidents
Elderly adults are facing challenges from their aging bodies when it comes to avoiding slip and fall accidents. With age, joints get stiff and muscles lose mass and tone. Many medications for common geriatric conditions can cause dizziness. Chronic conditions like vertigo, high blood pressure, and trembling can also affect coordination and balance.
Sometimes, the elder adult’s living environment contribute to the slip and fall accident. Seniors can have a hard time navigating stairs or other uneven ground. Slippery floors like bathrooms and kitchens can make it difficult to stay on their feet. Clutter and poorly maintained flooring can create hidden hazards that can trip up even the most careful elderly people. Some efforts to make safer walkways can cause more problems, such as loose throw rugs or thresholds between rooms. Family caregivers and home care assistants
Even seniors that use a walking aide like a cane or a walker can use them improperly, causing a stumble. The truth is that elderly adults are the age group with the highest risk of getting injured from a slip and fall accident.
How Family Caregivers Can Help
The best thing that family caregivers can do to help their elderly relative avoid a slip and fall is to pay attention to their loved one as well as to their environment. The family members need to be proactive about ensuring that their relative is as healthy and strong as possible. If they report dizziness or loss of balance, the aging loved one needs to get to a doctor for a diagnosis or medication adjustment. Many of these physical issues are ignored by elderly adults who don’t think the symptoms are a big deal or else they don’t want to bother anyone. Family caregivers need to step in and ensure they get medical attention
Having a home care aide involved in a dependent senior’s life means that their health and wellness comes first. It’s especially important in reducing the risk of slip and fall accidents. Many seniors don’t think about properly fitting shoes or clutter on the floor as a tripping hazard. When family caregivers and home care aides constantly monitor the elderly person’s environment, they are more likely to avoid obvious issues.
Not only do injuries from a slip and fall accident change an elderly person’s health, it can also increase their odds of another falling accident. With so much at risk, it makes sense for seniors, family members, and home care assistants to team up to minimize the possibility of slip and fall accidents.
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring a Caregiver in Delray Beach FL, please call the caring staff at Alongside Home Health. Providing senior care in Palm Beach County and surrounding cities. Call for Assistance: (800) 712-4266
Source:
- How Can You Bring Family Members Together When They Disagree about Care Decisions? - May 4, 2018
- People Who Have Aging Parents Insist Home Care Is Crucial - April 18, 2018
- How the Frail Elderly Benefit from In-home Elder Care - April 6, 2018