5 Tips for Preventing Falls in Seniors
We do not want our elderly to suffer from cuts and bruises, bone fractures, or even serious head injuries from a simple fall. As measures in preventing falls in seniors, you must consider the following:
1. Maintenance of Cleanliness
Maintaining cleanliness is the most uncomplicated course of action to help keep your house safe for seniors. It would be best to throw away all the clutter, such as old magazines, to clear passages in your corridors and other areas with foot traffic.
2. Removal of Tripping Hazards
You have to identify areas in your house with unwanted hazards that could trip your senior and cause a massive fall. Look for loose wood parquet sticking up, uneven carpet, slippery floor mats, and some loose nails or screws. Tripping hazards are dangerous deterioration in a house but an easy repair for any individual.
3. Installation of Handrails
Handrails are very helpful for preventing falls in seniors, especially inside the bathroom. You can surround the water closet with railings to help the senior get up. For maximum safety in the bathroom, install grab bars all around the walls to prevent falls. Hallways and other areas that our seniors frequently visit should have handrails or grab bars installed.
4. Use of Proper Clothing
Seniors fond of wearing loose clothing are also prone to tripping and falling. Therefore, it is better to let your senior wear an adequately fitted hemmed dress that prevents dragging on the ground while walking.
5. Installation of Adequate Lighting
Suppose your house has a poor natural lighting design. In that case, you should opt to install additional artificial lighting to help the seniors see better inside. Corridors are often sacrificed in house planning, where natural ventilation and lighting are inferior. You can prevent falls in seniors by installing bright lighting in the area.
Falls remain to be the primary cause of injury-related hospitalizations among Canadian seniors. Each year, 20% to 30% of seniors suffer from falls. It would be better to know how to prevent injuries from happening. Our seniors might not recover fast from an injury, or worse, they would not be able to recover at all. These simple home modifications can come a long way toward preventing falls in seniors.
