Falling is an incredibly dangerous situation for your aging adult. She might be lucky and avoid serious injury, but in many cases falling involves a serious injury that can impact the rest of her life. Here are five factors that affect your senior’s ability to avoid a fall.
Her Home’s Clutter Status.
One huge issue for aging adults can be the clutter and other obstacles in their homes. If your elderly family member has a lot of furniture or clutter in her way, it might be a good idea to create a pathway so that she’s able to safely access her entire home. Some people are resistant to making these changes, though, so you might need to tread carefully with your senior.
Problems with Her Eyesight or Her Hearing.
Your senior’s hearing and her eyesight are both incredibly important when it comes to helping her to avoid a fall. In the case of her eyesight, seeing obstacles is an obvious help when it comes to avoiding them. Hearing issues can affect your elderly family member’s balance because her inner and middle ear may not communicate with her brain the way that they did before she lost her hearing.
Medications Leave Her Wobbly.
Most medications have side effects, of course, but the biggest side effects can involve dizziness or other issues that leave your senior less than stable on her feet. If you’re concerned that your senior’s medication could be making her more likely to fall, make sure that you talk with her doctor about what could be happening. It might be possible to adjust the medication or the dosage to account for those side effects.
She’s Not Sleeping Well.
Sleep deprivation can create some of the same side effects as drinking, amazingly enough. Your senior may not notice that she’s more wobbly or prone to accidents when she’s not sleeping well, but it’s definitely a factor to consider. Talk with her doctor about what you can do to help her to start sleeping better so that she can avoid this particular issue.
She’s Having More than One Nightcap.
Of course, if your loved one is having more than a couple of alcoholic beverages a night, that can also impact her ability to avoid a fall. A little bit of alcohol can have some health benefits, but too much is a bad idea. More than a glass of wine a day, for instance, can leave your senior more susceptible to losing her balance and taking a tumble.
Having access to home care providers can help your aging adult to avoid some of these factors. Consider making them available for a few hours a week. They can alert you to things you need to reconsider about your aging adult’s life and home so that you can put solutions in place.
The staff at Home Care Matters is available to talk with you and your family about all of your needs. Home Care Matters is a home care agency providing quality and affordable home care in Dacula, GA and the surrounding areas. Call (678) 828-2195 for more information.
Valerie has the unique experience with home care as she has experienced it from both ends of the spectrum, as a caregiver and as needing care herself as a cancer survivor. Valerie says, “Taking care of someone you love is a physically, mentally and demanding labor of love.Taking care of my mom was the hardest thing I have ever done. It has given me an insight and perspective not many people understand unless you are doing it or have done it.I loved taking care of my mom.I love helping others take care of their love ones too.And now that I’ve been sick, it’s given me a whole new level of empathy and understanding for those who are sick and need help.”
Valerie’s schedule varies daily, but she loves visiting with our clients, families, caregivers, our network partners and being in the office.Says Valerie, “Every day is different, but I wake up excited about what we do, inspired by our team, clients and caregivers.I strive to be a resource to the community.I love my team and I love what we do every day. I like to think my mom would be proud.”
You can reach Valerie by email (Valerie@homecarematters.com) or in our office (770.965.4004).
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