Look for Warning Signs to Prevent Falls
Are you caring for your elderly loved one? If so, do you have worries that they will fall? This does happen to many senior citizens and sometimes, these falls cause severe injuries. There are, however, little signs you can watch for in your elderly loved one to help prevent falls. If you can’t go to their home often enough to look for these signs, you don’t have to worry. You can contact an in-home care agency to have senior care providers do this for you.
Reaching for Things
One of the ways that you can tell your elderly loved one is having balance issues is if they start reaching for things such as the furniture or walls when they walk. For example, when your elderly loved one walks through the kitchen, you may notice them instantly reaching for the back of the kitchen chair, the table, or the countertop. If they slip and fall while holding onto these things, they are likely to hit their head and get hurt. If you do notice your elderly loved one reaching for things, it would be a good idea to hire home care providers who can help keep an eye on your elderly loved one.
Vision Issues
Another thing that you should watch for in your elderly loved one is vision issues. There are numerous eyesight problems that could cause a fall in your elderly loved one. For example, if your elderly loved one is nearsighted, but they don’t have glasses or contacts, they may not be able to tell the distance between themselves and the chair. This could cause them to fall. If you do notice your elderly loved one is having difficulty seeing, it is vital they go to an eye doctor appointment as soon as possible. They may need glasses or contacts.
Medication Side Effects
Is your elderly loved one on medications? If so, it is crucial that you or an in-home care provider read all the medication side effects on the bottle or pharmacy pamphlet. You should be looking for vision changes, balance issues, dizziness, lightheadedness, etc. If these are some of the side effects that could occur with the medicines your elderly loved one is taking, you may want to hire someone to be with them throughout the day and night. That way, someone will be there in case these side effects do happen, to help prevent your elderly loved one from falling.
Conclusion
Are you worried that your elderly loved one is going to fall while they are home alone or when they are out in public? If so, it would be good to look for these warning signs. If they are present in your elderly loved one, you may want to consider hiring someone to stay with them. That way, someone can be around to help keep your elderly loved one safe on their feet. The in-home care providers can help your elderly loved one to get around, get in and out of bed, and out of chairs, too.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering In-Home Care in Hartford, CT, please contact the caring staff at Golden Touch Personal Care LLC today. 860-393-1055
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/index.html