iSavta | 25.04.2021

When you think about old age concerns, you’ll probably think about health conditions or comorbidities. Truth is, their underlying conditions are not just the cause of concerns among their family and health care workers. Some of them are even healthy and physically able until…

 

Fall.

 

According to studies, one out of three people older than 65 years old will more likely fall and once they’ve fallen, there’s a possibility that they will fall again. This will start a whole level of a problem depending on the severity of the injury.

 

As a Caregiver, what are the things that you can do to prevent falls in your elderly patient? Here are some of our tips:

 

Get rid of rugs and carpets

 

Throw rugs and uneven carpets are some of the top reasons why there are fall injuries in the elderly. Most of them are drag-walking, they don’t lift their feet when walking. Rugs and uneven carpets are potentially harmful to them.

 

Make sure your furniture are solid for support

 

There will always be a balance problem with elderly people. It is important that they have a solid thing to grab onto for support when this happens. Make sure your furniture will not topple or move if your elderly patient grabs it for support. If it does, change it or bolt it to a solid surface. 

 

Install grab bars

 

Grab bars are important especially in toilets and bathrooms. Most incidents of falling happen inside the showers or toilets. Make sure there are enough grab bars installed everywhere for your patient to hold on to in case of loss of balance or slippery floor accidents.

 

Sufficient Lighting

 

Elderly people are with aging eyes that are not capable of working properly in poor-lighted places. Make sure you improve your lighting everywhere inside your home especially at your patient’s bedside table.

 

Emergency Buttons

 

One option you can have is to provide your patient with an electronic emergency pendant/button to wear. Fall can happen anytime and if everything fails and you have a fall accident, your patient can easily push the button that will automatically call for help. This is a good gadget to have especially if you’re out and the elderly are alone at home.

Preventing falls is very crucial for your patient's health. It can save lives and/or prevents lifetime confinement in beds or wheelchairs. As a Caregiver, this is one of your priorities in dealing with elderly patients. Make sure you follow these precautions and always be responsible and vigilant. Your patient’s every move or step is your responsibility.