No one wants their senior family member to fall, and for good reason. Falls are incredibly dangerous for older adults and they open the door for some very serious injuries that can change her entire life. but it’s easy to make mistakes after a fall, even with good intentions. Here are just a few of the mistakes your senior might have made after a fall or a near miss.
Not Telling You that She Fell
It’s extremely common for seniors to experience either a fall or a near fall and then never mention it to you. You might think that wouldn’t happen with your senior, but there are a variety of different factors that would cause her to make that decision. Either she’s embarrassed by the fall, she doesn’t realize how significant a fall is, or she doesn’t want to talk about what a fall might mean for her. Regardless, not telling you about the fall means you’re not as able to help her as you could be.
Letting Fear Keep Her from Moving Much
Another big mistake that is common after a fall is for aging adults to become afraid of moving in their own home. This is a mistake because it makes whatever caused the fall worse. For instance, medication side effects aren’t dealt with properly, she may continue to lose muscle tone, and she’s more likely to fall again. It’s vital that if your senior has fallen she does what she needs to do to recover and to remain strong to reduce the likelihood of falling again.
Ignoring Pain
Pain after a fall is not uncommon at all, especially if your senior has other health issues like arthritis. But if she’s ignoring that pain, she could be ignoring a big injury from her fall. This is another reason it’s so important for you to know when your elderly family member has fallen so that you can help her to assess possible injuries as quickly as possible.
Refusing to Follow Her Doctor’s Orders
After a fall, your senior’s doctor may recommend that she makes some changes to her life. Those changes might involve medications, using assistive devices, or exercising more often. But if your elderly family member ignores her doctor’s orders, she may inadvertently be increasing her fall risk on her own and that’s really dangerous for her to do.
Not Accepting Help
Hiring home care assistance after a fall is a good idea. Senior care providers are able to assist your aging family member with mobility issues and anything else that needs attention, like reducing fall risk factors. But if your senior is reluctant to accept help, she may be prolonging her own recovery time. Home care assistance can make your senior’s life a lot easier and safer, without restricting her or diminishing her independence.
Recovering from a fall the right way is so vital for your senior. If she’s making some of these mistakes, it’s important to try to get her to understand why she needs to make a change.