Five Things to Consider When Preventing Falls for Your Senior

By Jamie Shapiro | February 10, 2021 | Comments Off on Five Things to Consider When Preventing Falls for Your Senior

When older adults fall, those falls can have long term effects. Rather than helping your senior to recover from a fall, it’s much better to help her to find ways to prevent falling in the first place. 

That She’s Wearing Safe Footwear

 Senior Care Deerfield, IL: Preventing Falls

The right shoes can stabilize your senior when she’s going about her business on a normal day. If she doesn’t like wearing shoes, she may want to change her mind. Socks can be very slippery, especially on bare floors, and when she’s barefoot she runs a much greater risk of injuring her feet. Both situations can cause a fall that might have been avoided with proper footwear.  

That Potential Tripping Hazards Are Removed 

Removing clutter and anything that could become a tripping hazard is crucial, of course. Sometimes houses just get cluttered, though. That’s especially true if your elderly family member is finding it difficult to keep up with regular cleaning tasks. Having help from senior care providers might be good to ensure that your senior is safe and that her home is clean, too. 

That You Know Her Fall History 

Has your senior ever fallen before? You might be surprised at the answer. Many caregivers don’t realize that their senior family member has either almost fallen several times or has fallen, and then never told anyone. This history of almost falls and actual falls is really important and tells your senior’s doctor that she’s twice as likely to experience another fall. There may also be injuries she’s unaware of. 

That You Both Know How Her Health Affects Her Fall Risk 

Some of your senior’s current health issues can affect whether she falls, also. For example, if she has any issues that affect her ability to balance or that affect how her body moves, she’s more likely to fall. There are a lot of other health issues that could contribute as well, including whatever medications your elderly family member takes to manage those health issues. 

That You Have a Plan to Implement 

Your senior’s doctor can help you to put together a full fall prevention plan for her. This type of plan covers a lot of ground from her health to home modifications to consider to how senior care providers can help with mobility concerns. All of these are important to consider. 

Preventing falls is far preferable to recovering from them, which is something that your senior knows even if she’s not on board fully with your plan yet. 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care in Deerfield, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas. 

Jamie Shapiro
Latest posts by Jamie Shapiro (see all)
Posted in Preventing Falls, Senior Care in Deerfield IL and tagged ,