Let’s face it, as we get older our faculties begin to fail us and we become more prone to slip and fall accidents. The only problem is that older adults can develop serious health problems as a result of even the slightest stagger. When we fall down, it can hurt. When seniors fall down, they are more likely to sustain bone fractures and dangerous health consequences.
That’s why it is so important for seniors to avoid falling, a slip and fall that one of us might experience can be significantly more impactful and trigger any number of possible health concerns.
Prevention is key for the overall well-being of elderly adults and, when it comes to keeping seniors on their feet, there are some basic, simple precautions that must be taken to protect this all too common event from taking place.
Reasons Why Seniors Fall Over
Representatives from In-Home Senior Care Concord NC have compiled this list of the most repeatedly cited reasons that play a role in slip and fall incidents in seniors. Watch your elderly adult and see if you can spot any of these tell-tale signs that someone you love could be at risk for serious injury due to a fall.
Poor Vision
Among the most common causes of a slip and fall accident is due to poor or failing eyesight. As we get older, our eyes begin to show signs of slowing down, much like other parts of our bodies. That can make it much more difficult to get around safely and securely.
But this can be avoided by having the senior’s eyesight checked with an eye doctor and checking the prescription of their eyeglasses. Not only is the prescription important but the way the glasses fit on the face as well.
Medical Conditions and Illness
Mobility problems are of great concern to seniors as these afflictions can often interfere with their ability to walk properly. When an elderly adult has issues with their mobility, the risks of falling down are increased.
Be sure to monitor your senior or have your elderly adult discuss any pressing mobility concerns so as to catch any major problems before they occur. One of the more common illnesses that typically contribute to falls in seniors is arthritic pain or discomfort. When it physically hurts to walk, that can make walking more perilous.
Additional conditions that might affect a seniors ability to walk are disorientation and the side effects of medications. In the event your elderly loved one is displaying symptoms of these types of conditions, you should have your loved one visit their physician and discuss the problem to receive treatment and avoid a loss of balance.
Unsafe Home Environment
As seniors age, their surroundings can pose greater threats than there once were. Rooms that were safe even five to ten years ago may now present inherent risks to a senior despite those rooms and other areas of the home remaining mostly unchanged.
The way to make a home safer is to audit the rooms, hallways, stairwells, and other areas within that could pose serious risks and lead to a serious fall. So do a complete walk-through of the home and every room to see if furniture is blocking walkways, tables and chairs jutting out and located in places where it’s easy to get snagged or tripped up when a senior walks by.
Check for loose rugs or carpets that are easy to trip over for anyone not paying attention as they walk over these floor coverings.
Take a look in the bathrooms as well, your senior may need handrails installed in the bathroom or the bedroom so he or she may brace themselves when they need to use the toilet or get in or out of the tub.
Bedrooms could also use handrails so an elderly adult can get in and out of their bed without the need of assistance.
Proper Lighting
Seniors who are dealing with poor eyesight are already at a disadvantage but when you add inadequate lighting to the equation, the chances of a senior falling down are increased drastically. Help to avoid this by checking that all bulbs in the house are working and change out low wattage bulbs for higher wattage alternatives.
Do this both indoors and out around the home and be sure that stairwells and hallways are brightly illuminated so your senior won’t take a misstep due to darkness. A fall down a stairwell could lead to instant death. Brighter bulbs can avert tragedy.
