Daniel C.
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Verified by
Sander D.
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Last updated: July 14, 2024 —
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Each year, a third of all adults aged 65 and over suffer a fall. A fall can range from superficial bumps and bruises to more serious injuries such as hip fractures and head trauma. Falls are serious for older adults and can cause both fatal and non-fatal injuries. It’s a serious problem that needs to be considered if mobility is becoming an issue around the house. Many elderly fear that they could fall and suffer a fracture, and quite often a severe fall leads to continuous medical problems and eventually limiting the senior’s ability to live independently at home. We’ve come up with a list of five tips that help prevent falls by seniors in the home.
One of the best ways to prevent falls is to keep active in later life. Exercise keeps muscles strong and helps to maintain balance, both of which are key to helping prevent falls at home. Exercise does not have to be especially strenuous to help keep you fit and healthy. Even simple activities like riding a bike or going for a walk can be a great way to maintain mobility and balance for older adults.
Your body is a very delicate, finely tuned instrument that likes to maintain stability as best it can. When you change your medication or begin taking a new medication, you alter your body’s chemistry and this can have an effect on your balance. If you’ve recently switched medications and have started feeling dizzy and struggle to maintain your balance, make sure to consult a doctor. It’s possible that your new medication could be the cause of it, in which case calling your doctor and getting on an alternative medication could be all that’s needed to solve the problem.
Eyesight fades in old age and many older adults require glasses. Clear vision is a requirement for maintaining good balance and the wrong lens prescription can have an adverse effect on your balance. Get a second opinion if you’ve recently got a new prescription for your glasses and are now struggling to maintain your balance.
If the worst happens and you do fall you may be incapacitated. In these cases you’ll want to have a medical alert system on you that contains fall sensor technology. This will automatically detect when you have fallen and will send out an alert to help. Time can be crucial in some falls so the faster help is on the way, the better.
Some of the most likely places to experience a fall around the house include the shower and staircases. In both situations you should consider fitting grab bars, which could drastically lower the chances of being involved in a fall at home. They are easy to fit and are suitable for most homes.
Falls around the house are the biggest danger to older adults and can prove fatal. Taking steps to prevent a fall and getting a medical alert system just in case can help put you, the elderly person you’re caring for and your family’s minds at ease.
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