Incidences of Fatal Falls Have Risen – Tips for Preventing Falls
In adults 65 or older, the death rate from unintentional falls continues to increase. In 2016, 29,668 seniors died as a result of a fall. That was an increase from the 18,334 deadly falls in 2007. The total number of yearly falls is hard to calculate, but 2.8 million seniors visited the ER after a fall in 2015.
Fall prevention is the best way to keep your mom or dad from falling both within and outside the home. You’ll find checklists online. If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, you can hire an elderly care service to do a safety inspection and give you recommendations on what needs to be fixed or upgraded.
Key Areas to Inspect in the Home: You should start with a safety evaluation of the home. There are three important things to focus your attention on…
-First, check your parent’s rails to make sure they’re securely anchored to a stud or post. If any are loose, you will want to fix them or hire a professional to make sure they are sturdy and can support your parent’s weight.
-Second, check the flooring in the house. Loose boards or tiles can slide and increase the risk of a fall. If your parent has carpeting, check the carpet for wrinkling. You should also inspect the seams to make sure they haven’t loosened. If your mom or dad likes having throw rugs for a decorative touch, see if they have a rubber backing that keeps them from slipping. Decorative rugs should also be inspected to make sure the edges are not curling up.
-Third, inspect safety in the bathroom. If your parent doesn’t have grab bars installed in several areas, they need to be. A safe bathroom has a grab bar near the toilet. There should be at least one bar in the shower and/or tub area. There should also be a grab bar outside the tub or shower. As your parent gets in and out of the shower, there must be sturdy bars to grip for support.
Look Over Side Effects of Medications
Look at the side effects of any medications your parent takes. Dizziness and sleepiness are common side effects of several medications. If your parent is on a medication that can lead to dizziness, they want to take it easy after taking medications. They shouldn’t move around a lot until they know how the medication makes them feel.
To schedule a safety check by an elderly care agency, all you have to do is call. While you’re talking about your parent’s safety, be sure to discuss other services that can keep your parent from falling. Help with laundry and housework are two important senior care services that help the elderly. Learn about these now by contacting an area elderly care agency.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Dunwoody, GA, please contact the friendly staff at Certified Home Care of Georgia. Call today 770-635-8042
Sources:
CDC.gov/homerecreationalsafety
CDC.gov/volumes67