As you get older, fall avoidance is a crucial topic to think about. As you get older, physical changes, health issues, and occasionally the medications used to address those issues increase your risk of falling. Falls rank first among the injuries that older persons sustain. But you don’t have to let your fear of falling take over your life because many falls prevention service are available.
When you fall or abruptly land on the ground, it usually occurs in a familiar setting while doing your daily business. When something pushes you, your trip, you have a seizure, a stroke, or you are exhibiting the signs of a new sickness, you may lose consciousness and fall, so fall prevention for seniors is essential.
Falls have severe repercussions. A significant injury, such as a fractured bone or head trauma, results from one of every five falls. They account for the majority of hospital admissions for injuries among older individuals. Falls are more likely to endanger your capacity to remain at home as you age and raise your risk of dying sooner, so fall prevention for seniors is necessary.
Fall Prevention Service Is a Joint Effort
The fall prevention service gives more senior citizens support. An advice to help them avoid falls and regain confidence following falls. We heavily emphasize assessment, rehabilitation, and exercise because we know that they are the best strategies for fall prevention for seniors.
Therefore, the falls prevention service is a team effort in which each member brings experience in their own area of responsibility or line of work. Among the members are health care specialists, including your primary care doctor, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, pharmacists, and others. While health care professionals have a wealth of information and expertise that may help you live independently and fall-free, you can also avoid falling by using other falls prevention services in your neighborhood.
Falls are pretty standard. Older persons frequently fall, especially those who have several chronic illnesses. Every second of the day, an older person falls, and one out of every three older adults who live at home experience a fall, so fall prevention at home in the elderly is a need.
How to Do Fall Prevention at Home for the Elderly?
It isn’t necessary to redesign the entire house. You can do fall prevention for seniors with just a few simple adjustments. Elder care experts provide the following tips for avoiding falls at home.
- Eliminate clutter. The most straightforward fall prevention approach for seniors has an orderly home. Get rid of all clutter, particularly from stairways and corridors where there may be piles of outdated newspapers and periodicals.
- Fix or get rid of trip hazards. Home accessories may occasionally cause falls, resulting in back discomfort and other accidents. Search every room and hallway for sagging carpet, slippery throw rugs, or protruding timber floorboards. For better fall prevention at home in the elderly, fix, get rid of, or replace those things.
- Install railings and grab bars. This safety equipment can be beneficial for fall prevention at home in the elderly if you have limited mobility so that you can safely climb stairs, use the toilet, and enter and exit the bathtub. The Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine’s founder and medical director, Dr. Gary Kaplan of McLean, Virginia, advises putting grab bars by toilets, bathtubs, and railings in stairways and hallways. If you need assistance, ask a family member or a handyperson.
- Keep your garments tight. Although you want to be comfortable at home, clothing that is too loose can occasionally increase your risk of falling. Choose clothing that fits better and has properly finished hems so it won’t bunch up or drag on the ground.
- Light properly. A significant additional risk is inadequate lighting. Install brighter light bulbs where necessary, particularly in stairways and constrained hallways, to make your home easier to manage for fall prevention at home in the elderly. For more straightforward nighttime navigation, Dr. Robert Bunning, associate medical director of inpatient services at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC, advises installing nightlights in restrooms and bedrooms.
- Put on shoes. Although socks may be cozy, they increase the chance of slipping. Simply wearing shoes can help prevent falls at home. If shoes are too uncomfortable, you can alternatively buy non-slip socks with grips on the bottoms.
- Ensure it won’t slip. Wet floors in kitchens, bathrooms, and patios can become quite dangerous, as can bathtubs and showers. Dr. Kaplan advises using non-slip mats to reduce slips and falls on slippery surfaces.
- Live on a single level. The risk of falling can be very high when using stairs, even with safety measures like guardrails. Live on one floor, if at all possible, advises Kaplan. Otherwise, take particular care when climbing stairs. Try to minimize your excursions up and down the stairs if living on one floor is not an option.
- Remain more cautious. According to Dr. Bunning, many people trip and fall at home when they stand up or sit down too quickly. It is possible to prevent falls by taking your time. Just pause when you move from lying down to sitting and from sitting to standing, he advises. Whether you are going up or down steps, stop before utilizing the handrail.
- Take up a preventative workout regimen. Numerous community centers, fitness centers, and healthcare organizations provide exercise programs for senior citizens focused on reducing falls as a falls prevention service. These training routines emphasize muscle growth and balance enhancement. If necessary, a physical therapist can suggest exercise regimens, and assistance gadgets to keep you safe.