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Author: Home Helpers Home Care

Preventing falls for seniors is a major part of helping them to remain safe as they age in place for as long as they would like. Seniors who fall once are twice as likely to experience a second fall according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means family caregivers need to pay attention to the key areas for senior fall prevention and luckily, home care providers can help.

Rugs and Floors

Slippery floors and rugs that are loose or slippery can create a massive fall risk for aging adults. Securing them with carpet tape, adding a non-slip backing, or simply removing them are all good solutions. Avoiding cleaning products like wax and polishes that make the floor even more slippery is an important change as well.

Lamps and Lighting

As seniors age, they can experience changes in their vision that reduce how well they see in poor lighting. This is something that corrective lenses can’t fix, unfortunately, but an easy solution is adding brighter lighting. Elder care providers can help family caregivers spot places where additional lighting would help, especially if they’re there with seniors overnight.

Steps and Stairs

Stairs and steps can be especially dangerous for aging adults when their mobility changes. Vision issues and balance trouble don’t help, either. Installing sturdy handrails on both sides of stairways helps. Keeping stairs well-lit and removing any clutter at all also helps. Larger stairways may require bigger solutions, like a stair lift or relocating bedrooms to main floor areas.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are a high fall risk area for anyone simply because of the wet surfaces. For seniors, however, every part of the bathroom poses risks. Grab bars in every major area of the bathroom, like in the tub or shower stall and around toilets, make a big difference. If it’s possible, changing out a traditional tub for a walk-in shower or tub greatly improves safety.

Furniture

Sometimes the furniture arrangements that worked for a long time are more problematic as seniors age. Removing excess furniture and clearing wide pathways helps seniors maneuver more safely, especially if they use assistive devices that take up a good bit of space. Using good cord management practices, like keeping them along walls instead of in open spaces, removes them as a possible tripping hazard.

Clutter

Clutter can be almost anything that is in the way, really. That might mean that excess furniture becomes clutter or that a collection of items that seniors don’t really need or use are taking up valuable space. If seniors are open to the idea of decluttering, that can free up space that they need in order to live their lives how they want.

Home care providers can help family caregivers and seniors notice more of the fall risk factors that exist for seniors. They can also help families to put fall prevention plans to work so that seniors are safer in their homes and have access to the tools and support that they need to avoid experiencing a fall.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Schereville, IN, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers Home Care of NW Indiana today at (219) 244-2533.

Home Helpers Home Care of NW Indiana provides exceptional home and facility care for seniors in Highland, Munster, Crown Point, Schererville, Dyer, Saint John, Valparaiso, Cedar Lake, Griffith, Lowell and the surrounding areas.