Aging adults are at unfortunately high risk of experiencing falls at home. Once a senior does fall, they are twice as likely to experience another fall. And if that person avoided serious injury the first time around, they may not be as lucky the next time a fall occurs. That’s why having as much help as possible, including from elder care providers, is an excellent way for family caregivers to help reduce fall risks for the seniors they love.
Elder Care Providers Get to Know Their Clients
When caregivers start working with aging adults, they get to know their clients and their needs very quickly. Individual health issues, ailments, and requirements are a huge part of finding the right solutions for any given situation. Home care providers genuinely care about the people they are helping and they want to make sure that they understand the challenges that aging adults are facing.
Assessing the Environment
Another big factor when identifying and addressing fall risks involves the environment itself. Is the lighting adequate? Are there grab bars wherever necessary? Loose flooring, home modifications, and other factors are all important to consider and caregivers do so as they assess what might be contributing to safety issues.
Caregivers Make Recommendations
After gathering information, home care providers might make recommendations to seniors and to family members. These recommendations are based on observations and experience helping other aging adults to be safe at home and avoid falls as much as possible. Some of the recommendations might require more effort than others, like adding a ramp in place of stairs. But others, like making it easier for seniors to access mobility aids, are simpler to implement quickly.
Help Seniors Follow Doctors’ Orders
It isn’t always easy to follow doctors’ orders, especially when those orders are frustrating. That means that lots of seniors make choices that aren’t necessarily the right ones, especially if they do want to avoid a fall. Elder care professionals are there to remind seniors about the various small things they can do, like exercising and eating regularly, to stay healthy and to avoid a fall.
Keep Family Caregivers Informed
Family caregivers are often overwhelmed by everything that goes into caregiving. With the help of elder care providers, caregivers are able to have a better idea what their senior’s needs are, especially around fall prevention. This can be a huge help when it comes to putting plans in place to help aging adults to avoid falls and the injuries that can result from a fall at home.
Falls and the injuries that falls can cause are preventable for seniors, but it’s a lot easier to do when there is experienced assistance available. Identifying risk factors and safety concerns is the first step in developing a plan and elder care providers can help family caregivers to do just that. Ultimately, all of this works toward helping aging adults to be more confident, independent, and safe at home, which is what everyone involved wants.
Reference
https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/fall-prevention-strategies
If you are considering elder care in Henderson, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.
Our caregivers and staff members treat our clients, residents, and their families with the utmost respect. Our focus is to provide the highest quality of care and service with compassion and dignity.
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