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| Consider a monitoring system for the elderly. |
Anyone who is a caregiver for a senior needs to be aware of the hazards that face seniors in their own home, and be able to find solutions to help minimize those hazards. You may be surprised to learn falls are the leading cause of accidents and serious injury in the homes of the elderly. Not only does a fall jeopardize the health of the senior, there are significant costs involved as well. Knowing the facts about falls can be the first step in helping the senior in your life become safer at home.
Some of the important facts to know about falls include:
- When a senior falls their hospital stay is typically 2 times longer then for other senior patients who are admitted for any other reason.
- Statistics show that falls are being reported by 1/3 of seniors who are older then 65. Keep in mind however, that this is known to be a underreported problem.
- The risk of falling is greater for women then for men and increases substantially with age.
- Statistics also show that 2/3 of those who fall will have another fall within the next 6 months.
- Falls are the leading cause of death from injury in seniors over the age of 65 and will result in nearly 10,000 deaths in the senior population.
- Studies show that the most profound effect from falls is the resulting loss of function that often prevents the senior from continuing to live independently.
However, there are steps that can be taken to help seniors continue to live independently in their own homes and help to reduce the impact of falls. One of these steps is installing a monitoring system. There are many different monitoring systems that can be used. From specialized telephone monitoring to complete video camera setups that show each room in the senior’s home. The fear of many caregivers and seniors is that should a fall occur that the senior will be left isolated without any help. Most monitoring systems have built in alarms that can alert either a monitoring company or a caregiver that a fall has occurred. This way the senior can receive immediate help which can help to reduce the long lasting effects of falling.
The major benefit of using a monitoring system is both the senior and the caregiver can have increased peace of mind. Today, many adult children live far away from their senior parent(s). They often worry what could happen if a fall or other problem occurs and no one is immediately notified. With the use of a monitoring system adult children can have increased peace of mind about their loved one’s well being. In addition, many seniors want to remain in their home but are also afraid of being left stranded without help. A monitoring system provides peace of mind for both the caregiver and the senior who knows that help can be easily and quickly summoned should they need it. A careful review of the needs of the senior can help the caregiver to choose a monitoring system that will effectively monitor and help to protect their loved one in their own home.
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| Call us. We're here to help. |
About The CareGiver Partnership. 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. Visithttp://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.
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