Protect Your Elderly Loved Ones From Falls

Canadian seniors are all too familiar with falls”and they are at a higher risk of falls than others. In fact, falls are the leading cause of injury among Canadian seniors.

Therefore, our team of in-home care providers at Qualicare Tri-Cities wants to help you keep your loved ones safe by offering tips on how you can better protect them from falls.

How Can Falls Affect our Elderly Loved Ones?

When an older adult falls, he or she can experience bruises, lacerations, abrasions, fractures and even head injuries.

Other injuries that can result from a fall include:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Hip fracture
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Sprains

Therefore, it is important to take precautions to keep your loved one from falling.

Take Action Against Falls

Let’s take a look at some ways you can help prevent falls in your loved one:

Make sure the floor is free from clutter. Anything on the floor can be considered a tripping hazard, including rugs and carpet. Make sure that all rugs are adhered properly to the floor and not lifting, even at the edges.

You’ll also want to install sufficient lighting throughout the home, especially in dim areas such as stairways. When trying to light a room properly, you can also consider adding some natural light to the room, as this will help to boost daytime visibility.

Add handrails and grab bars in strategic places throughout the home, including both sides of any stairs and in the bathroom.

Finally, don’t forget to add exercise into your loved one’s daily life to help promote balance, which can help to prevent falling. Incorporate a good variety of activities that promote balance, heart health and flexibility for optimal health.

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