For aging adults, even a small fall can have far-reaching effects. Experiencing one fall means that seniors are twice as likely to fall again, and the second fall may be much worse. Reducing fall risk factors is a major goal for families if seniors want to age in place, and senior home care services can help.
Review the Home for Fall Risks
Any good fall prevention plan for aging adults starts with a review of the possible safety issues in their homes. Senior home care providers have a great deal of experience recognizing the potential issues that contribute to falls for seniors. Professional caregivers can quickly let families know what safety issues are the biggest concerns so that those issues can be first on the list to be resolved.
Consider Light Exercise
As seniors age, they may find that they’re moving less and less. Gently restarting a plan of light exercise improves muscles and can rebuild strength. A mix of balance and strength training exercises can improve flexibility, further reducing fall risks for seniors. Any time that seniors want to start a new exercise plan, they should talk with their doctors to make sure it’s safe for them to do.
Talk with Doctors About Medication Side Effects
While they’re talking with their doctors about exercise, seniors should also make some time to talk about the medications they’re taking. For some seniors, the side effects they experience from their medications can actually become more severe the longer they take the medications. Focusing on symptoms like sleepiness or dizziness is a good place to start.
Check Hearing and Vision
Hearing affects balance, which increases fall risks for aging adults. Vision changes can also create issues for seniors. If they can’t see the obstacles around them, they run a higher risk of tripping and falling. Regular checks of both vision and hearing help seniors to stay on top of their fall risk factors.
Encourage Proper Footwear
Proper footwear, including shoes that fit correctly, makes a huge difference as seniors walk around. Shoes and slippers that fit poorly or that slip on some surfaces increase the risk that seniors might fall. Not wearing footwear at all isn’t the right answer, either, especially if seniors have balance issues. The right shoes should have non-skid soles and fit comfortably.
Practice Standing Slowly
Senior home care providers can also help aging adults to remember small changes like standing up slowly. For most of their lives, it was probably easier to stand up and head wherever they were planning to go. But as seniors age, it is so much safer to wait and take their time to stand slowly and pause before moving further. This one habit shift can help seniors to stabilize themselves before walking.
There are so many small ways that seniors might find themselves more at risk of experiencing a fall. Working with senior home care providers can help aging adults resolve as many of these issues as they can so they remain as safe as possible.
If you or an aging loved one needs senior home care in Parker, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare of Parker. 303-953-9924
