Is Your Loved One at Risk of Falling?

Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among adults age 65 years and older. Fortunately, many falls can be prevented.

Our team of in-home care providers at Qualicare wants to offer you tips on how you can keep your elderly loved ones safe from a fall.

Get the Facts About Falls

In order to understand how to best protect your elderly loved ones from falls, you must first get the facts about falls.

Among Canadians, falls are the leading cause of injury. In fact, 95% of all hip fractures occur because of a fall. Risks associated with falling include:

• Poor vision
• Confusion
• Blood pressure issues
• Heart problems
• Loss of hearing
• Muscle weakness
• Slow reflexes
• Diabetes
• Certain medications

If your elderly loved one has one or more of the risk factors listed above for falling, extra precautions might need to be taken in order to ensure safety.

Take Action Against Falls

Preventing a fall is far better than treating injuries related to one. Let’s take a look at some ways you can help your loved one avoid a fall—now and in the future!

First, try to have your loved one stay as physically active as possible. Exercising can help to improve mobility, balance and flexibility, which can help protect your loved one from falling. In addition, activities like walking and climbing stairs can help slow down osteoporosis.

Second, you might want to check with your loved one’s physician about the medications he or she is taking, as some medications are known to make people sleepy and/or dizzy, which can increase the risk of falls.

Finally, make sure your loved one is getting plenty of quality sleep. Drowsiness and fatigue are major contributors to fall risk, especially among older adults who may already be unsteady on their feet.

Experts recommend that adults age 65 and older get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. If your elderly loved one is having issues sleeping, speak to his or her physician about ways to help.

Are you worried about your loved one falling? Contact our in-home care providers at Qualicare to learn how we can help!