The sense of security that a home provides is one of the things that makes it what it is. After all, it was all designed to provide a safe space for us and our loved ones.
But what happens when we no longer feel sure of our safety at home? What do we do when we realize that falls and slips put our health and safety at risk? Read on to find out.
Falls are the primary cause of injuries at home, especially for older people aged 65 and above. These injuries may include hip traumas, bone fractures, and so on. Even if a fall does not cause physical harm, it can cause us to be fearful and anxious in the future.
To be honest, we can’t imagine our older relatives spending their retirement years in fear. As a result, we must assist them in lowering their risk of falling or tripping at home, which will make their post-work years more enjoyable.
Seasons Retirement creates a safe place for residents to stay without worrying about slips and falls. Also, they made a piece to list hip exercises to build balance in older adults. Have a read on https://seasonsretirement.com/5-popular-hip-exercises-for-seniors/
If you are looking for other helpful tips on how to prevent falling in your older ones, you are in the right place. Keep reading.
Tips to Prevent Falls in Older Adults
The truth is that most falls suffered by older people can be avoided. However, the proper measures must be put in place to prevent their occurrence in our loved ones’ homes. The following are guidelines for fall risk prevention.
1. Healthy Eating
You may be failing to find a correlation between eating good food and avoiding falls. You should remember that poor balance and gait are major risk factors of falls amongst the adult population.
That said, diet contributes to the physical well-being of older persons, including their balance and posture. Hence, foods that keep the bones strong and the joints free of pain will help your older ones avoid falls.
Calcium-rich foods, like low-fat milk, cheese, sardines, should be incorporated into the diet of your loved ones.
Meanwhile, vitamin D is also an essential nutrient for bone health. So, it should be given special consideration during meal planning. Vitamin D can be found in salmon, tuna, eggs, etc.
Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that vitamin D is best obtained from the early morning sunshine. You should encourage your loved ones to take short walks early in the morning to take in some of the sunlight.
Alcohol can affect balance and coordination; hence, it should be avoided by older persons.
2. Regular Exercise
Unsurprisingly, adequate exercise is a significant measure for fall prevention for seniors. Engaging in regular workouts will help bolster muscle strength and conditioning.
More importantly, your loved ones should engage in hip exercises, as they help to improve balance and stability. As a result, the risk of falling will be significantly reduced.
Furthermore, regular physical exercise will improve the general well-being of your older folks. For instance, the occurrence of postural hypotension and its symptoms, which can lead to falls, will be significantly reduced.
3. Routine Eye Checks
With age, your older ones may begin to experience some level of decline in their eyesight. Poor eyesight will make it more difficult for an adult to perceive obstacles and fall hazards, increasing their risk of tripping or slipping.
However, that is not to say that your loved ones can’t still enjoy a clear vision. All you need to do is ensure that they have their eyes checked once a year, at the very least. During the check, the physician will test if your older one is suffering from any eye condition and prescribe treatment if the need arises.
4. Adequate Lighting
Quite frankly, there is only so much that the eyes can see in a place with poor lighting.
So, to ensure that your older ones are better protected from falls or slips, install adequate lighting where needed. Staircases and hallways are examples of spots where bright light bulbs are required for better vision.
5. Non-slip Shoes
The need to always wear footwear can’t be overstated at home – even for younger people. Wearing socks or walking barefoot may seem comfortable. These practices, however, pose a hazard of slipping.
That said, wearing shoes, especially non-slip ones, should reduce this risk to the barest minimum.
6. Non-slip Surfaces
No matter how builders try, certain areas in the house will always get wet. Some of these spaces include porches, showers, and bathrooms. Even the kitchen floor gets wet from time to time.
Having said that, special floor surfaces can be fixed in these areas to tackle the risk of slipping at home.
Now, it’s possible that you and your loved ones can’t afford to, or would rather not install slip-proof surfaces at home. In that case, you should consider non-slip mats, as they are suitable for senior falls prevention. Additionally, having a medical alert system in place can provide extra peace of mind. This ensures that help is readily available in the case of an emergency, like a fall, even in areas that are already equipped with safety measures.
7. Declutter
Decluttering the home is one of the easiest ways on how to prevent falling in people of all ages, particularly older adults. Ensure that your loved one’s home is well arranged and neat. As long as unnecessary clutter is always out of their way, your older one is less likely to trip over.
8. Medication Review
Drugs are used to alleviate stress or illness in the body, but they can sometimes cause side effects.
The effects such as dizziness, confusion, and imbalance, should be taken seriously, as they may increase the risk of falling in your adults.
That said, your loved ones should visit the doctor at least once a year so that their medications and effects can be evaluated.
This way, drugs with unwanted side effects can be filtered out and replaced with improved alternatives. Your older ones are less likely to fall if their medications don’t put them at risk.
Final Words
Older adults want to spend their retirement years in good health and physical condition. On the other hand, falls and slips put their post-retirement plans at risk.
So, avoiding falls and slips may mean more than just injury prevention for adults, as it ensures that they can live a fun-filled and healthful life.
If you’ve been wondering how to prevent falling in the home of an elderly relative, you should have answers now that you’ve read this article.
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