{"id":234,"date":"2019-04-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/synergyhomecare.com\/ga-villa-rica-30180\/2019\/04\/06\/elderly-falls-protecting-your-loved-ones\/"},"modified":"2019-04-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-06T00:00:00","slug":"elderly-falls-protecting-your-loved-ones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/synergyhomecare.com\/ga-douglasville-30135\/knowledge-center\/elderly-falls-protecting-your-loved-ones\/","title":{"rendered":"Elderly Falls: Protecting Your Loved Ones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kathy and Sarah decide to spend the afternoon visiting their elderly mother, Margaret, who has been living alone since her husband passed just two years earlier. With a vase full of fresh lilies, Margaret\u2019s favorite flower, they knock on her front door. They hear the barking of Margaret\u2019s dachshund, but otherwise, there\u2019s no sound inside. They think nothing of it, as their mother suffers from hearing loss, so Kathy uses her spare key to open the door. They call out to let their mom know they\u2019ve arrived but got no answer \u2013 except the ambient sound of a television playing somewhere in the house. They follow the barking dog around the corner where Kathy drops her vase of lilies in shock. Margaret lies unconscious at the bottom of the stairs.<\/p>\n

At the hospital the next day, the doctors tell Kathy and Sarah to say their last goodbyes to a mother who is suffering from traumatic brain injury and severe internal hemorrhaging. In tears, they struggle to believe that someone as lively as Margaret was could be gone so soon. One slip on a rug led to a fall down stairs and injuries that ended her life at 83. In the following years, the \u201cwhat-ifs\u201d run through their minds over and over. What if someone had been there with her? What if they had found her earlier? What if they had made sure the house was safe for her?<\/p>\n

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Preventing Falls<\/strong><\/p>\n

Falls are the most prevalent mobility problem, and the leading cause of injury death, for those over 65. Things\u00a0like lack of physical activity, poor vision, and environmental factors \u2013 a loose rug or poor lighting \u2013 are all common causes of falls among the senior population. With increasing age, falls often result in broken bones that take longer to heal, as well as painful bruises. Even without the serious injury, an older person may have trouble getting up from a fall or may become fearful and inactive to avoid falling again. Mobility loss in seniors increases their chance of falling. The following is a list of sobering statistics about the millions of elderly\u00a0falls that occur each year:<\/p>\n