Elderly Falling

One of the most devastating things that can happen to the elderly is a fall. A healthy person (no matter his or her age), can suddenly slip and fall, and life can then be very different.

1/3 of seniors report falling one or more times in the last year alone

Many times, an elderly person who slips and falls can go from being healthy and independent, to someone with little mobility and a loss of independence that can alter both their life and their personality. Because of this, it becomes of paramount importance to put measures in place that can help prevent falls.

While every fall cannot be prevented, there are steps you can take and things you can put into place that will dramatically reduce the likelihood of such a fall happening for your elderly loved one. Because many of these falls take place at night, it becomes even more critical to know how to prevent falls. Here are some of the ways in which you can prevent falls and slips by eliminating the dangers in your loved ones house or place or residence:

Clear away the clutter
This is the biggest problem that hinders movement and can cause a fall. While daylight can illuminate the problem, an elderly person getting out of bed, may not remember where everything is placed and then slip or fall. You will want to clear all the unwanted things on the floor. You should also remove the newspapers, toys, magazines, loose wires of phones and cables which can also cause falls for the elderly if they are unseen. In addition, carpets and mats on the floor that are loose, having bulges and with curled ends need to be taken care of or replaced.

Make it safe to move
There are many products that can help with safety at nighttime. Non skid mats, motion sensor lights, bars, and other railings (to help your elderly loved one be able to get out of bed safely), can all be installed for a higher degree of nighttime safety. Non skid mats can be placed from the bed into the bathroom, completing a much safer path of walking. Motion sensor lights can be timed to come on at night illuminating a path and cutting down on the confusion and dizziness that can occur with nighttime rising. In addition, the appropriate bars and railings can be installed so that your loved one can assist themselves to a sitting position. It can also be helpful to encourage them to wait a moment and make sure they are feeling steady before standing.  The CareGiver Partnership offers a wide variety of nighttime safety products that will fit the needs of your elderly parent or patient.

Secure your footing

Wear special socks with traction built in

It can also help reduce the chance of falling if your loved one has secure footing. This is because bare feet can be slick and provide less traction on floors. Socks or slippers with traction can be worn or placed by the bedside, to help steady someone when they get up in the night. In addition, if your loved one needs to use a cane or other walking assistance device it should be placed conveniently near the bed, to be ready to assist when they need to get up in the night.

Let there be light-lots of it!
One of the major problems in nighttime safety is a lack of light. This can be eliminated with the installation of motion sensor lights. These motion sensor lights are easy to find and affordable to buy. They have built-in sensors that can detect when someone is passing by and will turn themselves on lighting the path of the senior. They can be placed strategically for lighting to the bathroom, kitchen, or any other place in the home, that the senior may desire to go to after they have awakened.

Placement of the furniture is critical
While everything can seem in place and working just fine during the day furniture placement can be critical during the nighttime hours. When arising from the bed many people are slightly disoriented and can be dizzy. If a clear path has not been established by careful furniture placement, seniors can find themselves colliding with furniture, and slipping and falling. It is important to take a critical look at furniture placement, and determine if it could be an obstacle for a senior who is getting out of bed during the nighttime hours.

Assistance where needed
There are a variety of products that can assist the senior who is getting up at night. Safety bars and handles can be installed at the bedside to allow the senior to pull themselves up safely and avoid the possibility of slipping while getting up out of bed. Encouraging your elderly loved one to use these devices and give themselves a moment before standing can also help them orient themselves and prevent falling. Many of these types of products can be purchased at The CareGiver Partnership where their knowledgeable sales specialists can help you determine the best product for your senior’s needs.

Eliminate the need to get up if possible
Many seniors have to get out of bed due to the need to use the bathroom. If this is a concern then there are products that can be used bedside eliminating the need to get up out of the bed. Urinals (for both males and females), bedpans, and other products, can be placed bedside and allow the senior to take care of their personal needs without having to actually get up. This reduces the risk of falling since the senior does not have to leave their bed to take care of these needs. The CareGiver Partnership offers a wide variety of bathroom assist products that can help your senior and keep them safer from falls.

Provide monitoring if the need is there
While most elderly are able to live independent lives there are some that need constant monitoring. If your elderly parent or patient falls into this category there are alarms that can be installed that notify nighttime caregivers if someone is arising from their bed. This way hands on care can be given if needed, and the risk of falls and slipping greatly reduced. At The CareGiver Partnership, you'll find an assortment of nighttime monitoring devices that can alert a caregiver should their elderly parent or patient be getting up in the night and need assistance.


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About The CareGiver Partnership.

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The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.