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Home » Helping Your Senior Understand Her Fall Risk Can Improve Her Overall Safety
Even a seemingly simple fall can have far-reaching effects for your aging adult. The best thing to do is to understand how at risk for falling your elderly family member is and then to make adjustments that help her to avoid experiencing a fall at all. If your elderly family member isn’t on board with this idea yet, you may need to do a little bit of convincing.
It Isn’t a Normal Part of Aging to Experience Falls
Very often aging adults tend to think of an increased fall risk as just something that happens when you grow older. That’s not the case, though. The problems that aging adults face from a potential fall are incredibly serious and can be avoided. Your loved one has to let go of the belief that there’s nothing that she can do, because there are some major steps you can both take.
Talk to Her Doctor about Fall Risk
The very first step is for you and your aging adult to sit down with her doctor and get a full picture of her fall risk. Health conditions, medication, and so many other factors can determine if your elderly family member is likely to experience a fall. Once you know what your elderly family member is up against, you can start to formulate a plan to handle what is going on.
Make Safety Improvements at Home
The next step is to take into account what changes you can make at your senior’s home to help her to avoid a fall. Installing grab bars is something you can do quickly and easily and it makes a huge difference right away. You also need to eliminate clutter and check to make sure that all flooring and floor coverings are in good condition.
Consider Lifestyle Adjustments, Too
Your senior may also want to consider making some lifestyle adjustments, too. Exercise programs that her doctor recommends can dramatically improve your senior’s balance and her ability to avoid a fall. If your elderly family member is eating unhealthily, it might be time to gradually phase in healthier choices and phase out foods that are full of empty calories.
If you’re still having a difficult time impressing upon your elderly family member that she needs to take certain steps to avoid falling, it can help to have homecare providers available. They can watch out for her when you’re not there and sometimes aging adults will listen to someone else besides you.