How to protect your loved ones from falling
Fall prevention is important to minimizing your risks or chances of falling. Falls are a common cause of debilitation among older adults. In fact, each year, millions of older people fall, and these falls go unwitnessed. Falls can have serious negative impact especially on the older adults. Falls and injuries poses a threat to the health of older adults and can reduce their ability to remain independent. However, falls are preventable. Falls incidents can be related to both environmental and a person’s physical and health conditions. Knowing the risks and ways to prevent falls have a far more positive impact on the life of an individual.
Impact of falls- lack of fall prevention
Even though more falls do not result in an injury, some falls can be very serious and costly. Evidence shows that 1 out of 5 falls can lead to a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury (Facts About Falls | Fall Prevention | Injury Center | CDC). other consequences of falls include:
- Broken fracture such as wrist, arm, ankle, and hip fractures etc.
- Head injury, bleeding or hematoma.
- Impaired mobility, increased weakness after a fall
- Fear of falling again
- Limited activities due to fear of falling
At Adcare, we are passionate about providing you safer care at home by detecting and removing your risks for falls and incorporating exercises into your daily routines to provide strengthening. Our services are tailored to your individual needs that promote your independence in a safer fashion.
According to the CDC, falls among adults 65years and older caused over 34,000 deaths in 2019, making it the leading cause of injury death for that group.
Older Adult Falls | Fall Prevention | Injury Center | CDC
Factors that lead to falls
- Physical or physiological fall risks include difficulty with walking and balance, weakness, vitamin d deficiency, vision problems, pain, some medications etc.
- Environmental factors include clutter in the home, poor lightening, uneven walkways, rugs that are a trip hazard, etc.
The risks of falls increases when a person has a combination of the risk factors. But these factors can be modified to reduce the chances of falling.
Good news! Fall prevention
The good news is that there are proven ways to reduce and prevent falls, even for older adults.
Things to do……
Talk to your health care provider regarding your risks and what you can do to prevent falls. Your provider can review your medications and advise you accordingly. Ensure regular follow-up with your doctor. If you need companion to go with you to your appointments, you can count on Adcare Home Health Services providers to assist.
- Exercise. perform regular strengthening and balancing exercises.
- Follow-up routine eye check
- Remove clutter and trip hazards from your home. Ensure enough lighting in your home.
- Wear appropriate non-skid footwear.
- Install handrails
- Keep items within easy reach
- For additional information, click on this link to download the “protect your loved one from falling” brochure for your loved one Brochure – Caregiver-E.indd (cdc.gov)
Don’t allow the fear of falling prevent you from living your best live independently. Trust that Adcare Home Health Services will be there as your partner, to assess, modify and eliminate fall risks as much as possible and keep you safer at your own home. Contact us for your free in-home assessment today.
