Five of the Biggest Ways to Help Seniors Avoid a Fall at Home

Seniors have a lot of safety issues to consider when they decide to age in place, but one of the biggest is falls and preventing them. Once seniors experience a fall, they’re twice as likely to have another fall according to The Centers for Disease Control. That’s a tremendous incentive for seniors to find ways to avoid even one fall. Senior home care providers can help aging adults and family caregivers to assess the situation and put a fall prevention plan in place.

Focus on Home Safety

Home safety and fall prevention go hand in hand. This means that addressing safety issues has the added benefit of reducing the risk of a fall. Improve lighting everywhere possible. Nightlights, additional light fixtures, and brighter light bulbs all help to bump up the available light. Secure rugs and mats to make sure that they don’t shift or roll up to create a tripping hazard. Clutter is a huge problem, and elder care providers can help seniors to keep clutter in check.

Make the Bathroom Safer

Every room needs attention when it comes to keeping seniors safe, but the bathroom is an especially dangerous room. Non-slip rugs and mats are an important safety feature. It might be time also to consider a shower chair or bench. Home care providers can also help with personal care tasks like bathing to keep seniors safe. Adding grab bars in the shower and the bathroom gives seniors something to reach for if they do start to slip or trip.

Work on Balance and Mobility

Seniors who are at a higher risk of falling may also have poor balance or mobility issues. Working on those issues can help them to feel safer as they move through their homes. This might involve helping seniors to build up strength and balance through specific exercises. Or seniors may benefit from using assistive tools like walkers or canes. If they take medications, they may want to talk with their doctors about whether side effects could be increasing their fall risks.

Choose Safer Footwear

Safe footwear for seniors is supportive and fits well. The right shoes offer support for seniors as they move through the house. Flat shoes with a non-slip sole are the best choice. If seniors don’t like wearing shoes, they may want to reconsider. Just wearing socks or even walking around barefoot can increase fall risk.

Consider Technology or Senior Home Care Services

Fall detection devices might be something to consider, too. These systems alert caregivers or emergency services if the wearer falls. Sometimes seniors are resistant to this idea, but feel better about having senior home care providers around. Home care providers offer companionship and assist in lots of other ways, making this a more well-rounded solution.

Preventing falls at home for seniors means looking at a lot of different variables to determine where the biggest issues are. Senior home care providers can help family caregivers notice and address the larger concerns, helping to keep aging adults as safe as possible at home.

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Modesto, CA, please contact the caring staff at Provident Care Home Care today at (209) 578-1210.