As we grow older, our eyesight will start getting blurry. Our bones will be weaker, and our muscles will decrease in strength. One will find it hard to walk and stand for a reasonable amount of time. Some will even start having a hard time staying balanced. All these age-related changes increase the risks of falls in seniors.
Are you the primary caregiver of a senior parent? Then one of your primary concerns is to reduce the risk of falls. Seniors can seriously get injured from falls. Not only can this cause trauma in their part. This can also lead to pain and complications. Some older adults even have to undergo hip surgery in Highland after acquiring hip fractures.
Fall is something everyone should be wary about, especially when caring for seniors. What can you do to prevent your senior loved one from falling? What steps can one take to prevent pain, trauma, and other complications?
Talk to their doctors
Regular checkups are a must, especially for geriatrics patients. Make sure to take them to their doctors on their scheduled appointments. Ask if any of their medications can make patients feel dizzy or drowsy. They can give you alternative pills for your aging parent. Don’t forget about having their visions checked. Their eye doctor might need to update their prescriptions so that your parents can see clearly and avoid accidents.
Let them take their medication on time
Make sure your senior loved one takes their prescribed pills regularly. Some medicines, especially those used to manage high blood pressure and diabetes, need to be taken on time. If not, this can cause dizziness, increasing the risks of falls. To avoid this, let your senior parent take their meds on the prescribed time.
Encourage regular exercise
They might be seniors, but that doesn’t mean that they should no longer stay active. By keeping the body in shape, one can prevent falls. A meta-analysis conducted in 2016 supported this claim. Balancing exercises are among the best activities for older adults. These can improve balance flexibility, strength, and cognitive function. Again, it is best to consult doctors to find out which exercises your senior parent can safely enjoy.
Urge them to use mobility devices
Many tools for the elderly that improve their safety. Some seniors might be too proud to use such mobility aids. It is vital to encourage them to use one as this can help prevent falls. Including them in decision-making can ease their hostility toward using such mobility devices.
Keep their home safe
Safety should start at home. So make it to a point to clear your home of anything that can make seniors fall. Keep the floors dry and clutter-free. If you must use rugs, choose anti-slip ones. Make sure to provide adequate lighting all around the house. Provide grab bars in their bathroom and consider adding railings to the stairs.
It’s not easy to take care of older adults. They have needs that require special attention. They are also at risk of falls due to age-related changes and possibly an unsafe living environment. By keeping this list in mind, you get to improve their safety and reduce the risks associated with falls.
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