Three million older adults end up in the emergency room each year after falling. That’s just the falls that result in trips to a hospital. Some older adults fall and don’t tell anyone or seek care. Home care services are an excellent way to help with fall prevention.
What are the most common causes of falls among elderly adults?
Vision Impairments
Your mom doesn’t see well. She has glasses, but they help more in the daylight than they do at night when it’s shadowy.
Make sure your mom’s furniture is arranged in ways that help prevent her from stubbing a toe or catching her leg on the corner of a coffee or end table. Add brighter lighting to make stairs and furniture easier to see.
Osteoporosis
If your mom’s bones are thinning, she may not have as much strength and stamina as she used to. Her muscles may not be as strong, and if she does fall, the risk of a broken bone is much higher.
She needs to go to her doctor for bone density screenings as recommended. She also needs to take any calcium medications, ask about taking vitamin D, and eat a calcium-rich diet.
Medication Side Effects
The prescription medications your mom takes cause side effects like dizziness, nausea, or lethargy. If her medications change her energy levels or balance, she must sit down after taking them.
Ask her doctor if there are other medications with fewer side effects. If not, make sure someone is with your mom after she takes her medications. Her caregiver can get her a drink, do the housework, and keep her from trying to get up and do things.
Household Hazards
Items within the home can increase the risk of a fall. Does your mom have hardwood floors but like to add color with a throw rug? If it’s not backed with a non-slip rubber coating, that rug can slip when she walks over it.
Broken floor tiles can slip around. Broken rails on stairs also increase the risk of a fall. Inadequate lighting on the stairs both inside and outside the home is also a fall risk.
Foot Pain
Surprisingly, foot pain is a leading cause of falls. Your mom is walking down the stairs and a sharp twinge of pain drops has her instantly reacting by reducing the pressure on that foot. She falls down the remaining stairs and injures herself.
Foot pain can be a result of arthritis, ligament or tendon injuries, or shoes that don’t fit correctly. It’s best to have your mom go to a podiatrist to make sure her feet are in the best possible shape, that her toenails are trimmed correctly, and that her shoes are the right size and offer the right support.
Once you know why your mom falls, arrange to have home care aides there to keep her from falling. Make a call, talk to our advisor, and get her set up for regular home care visits.
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Margate FL please contact the caring staff at Star Multi Care today. Call 954-962-0926
Star Multi Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Florida including Palm Beach, Miami Dade, and Broward County.
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