4 Tips for Caring for a Loved One Who Is at Risk of Falling

As seniors grow older, they are more susceptible to falling during everyday activities. Their fragile bodies do not handle a fall as well as a younger person, so it is essential to prevent falls by adding safety measures throughout your home.

Read on to learn about other ways you can help your loved one who is at risk of falling.

4 Ways to Prevent Falls

Look to these tips to find out how to adequately care for your loved one who may experience falls. You can prevent falls and help with conditioning their body to be prepared for accidents.

1. Exercise and Healthy Foods: The natural instinct may be to stay seated as much as possible if you are at risk of falling. Nobody falls if they never get up, right? On the contrary, the increased exercise will build up your support muscles and help those at risk of falling catch themselves when they lose balance. Meet with your doctors to discuss specific exercises like hip thrusts, leg lifts, and walking.
2. Guardrails and Fall-Proofing: Install guardrails in high-risk areas of the home such as stairs, long hallways, by the couch and kitchen table, in the shower, and next to the bed. Instead of hoping your family member can keep his/her balance when they stand up, provide them with some help.
3. Proper Eye Wear: One factor contributing to unexpected falls is poor eyesight. If someone can’t see something on the floor or misinterprets how far away a step or turn is, it will lead to more falls. So make sure your loved one wears eyeglasses or prescription contacts at all times.
4. Non-Slip Shoes: Great shoes are essential for avoiding falls. Choose shoes that have solid and slip-resistant soles that do not slide off the feet. If you have slippery flooring, use rugs to line the areas that contribute to falling.

When you are proactive about preventing falls, you can avoid long-term health risks for your loved one, including broken hips, injured knees or shoulders, and scrapes and bruises. So sit down with your loved one to make a plan for fall prevention.

If you feel overwhelmed with providing care for a family member, you can ask for help. Please reach out to our team at Bonita Springs Healthcare Services for questions about your family’s medical needs.