Reducing Risks of Falls in Your Loved One’s Home

By Jamie Shapiro | September 16, 2019 | Comments Off on Reducing Risks of Falls in Your Loved One’s Home

When you are in charge of taking care of a senior citizen, there is probably a lot you have on your mind. Many family caregivers are worried that their loved ones will fall in their own home. If this is one of your concerns, there are tips for reducing the risk of falls in your loved one’s home. Following the tips mentioned below can help you with this.

Getting Rid of Tripping Hazards

Elderly Care Highland Park, IL: Reducing Risks of Falls in Your Loved One’s Home

When you look around your loved one’s home, do you notice any tripping hazards? Are there things in the doorways? Do they have shoes or slippers lying around? If you notice anything in the way, that they might trip on, it is essential to move these things out of the way. Reducing the clutter in their home can reduce the risk of falls, as well.

Increasing the Walkway Space
Look at the location of the furniture in your loved one’s home. Do they have furniture in the walkways? Can you make the walkways bigger than they are now? If you can, do so. Having bigger walkways reduces the risk of your loved one falling.

Improving Lighting
By improving the lighting in your loved one’s home, you can reduce the risk of them falling. Your loved one won’t be able to avoid tripping over things if they can’t see them. You can check the stairways, hallways, and every room to assure they have the best lighting.

Handrails
Does your loved one have any handrails in their home? Check their bathtub, stairways, beside their bed, and other places in their home where they might have a higher chance of falling. If they don’t have handrails now, you should get some installed for them.

Items Should Be Easy to Reach
Does your loved one have to reach up high to reach items in their home? Are they constantly reaching up high into cupboards? Do they have to reach high up on shelves to get items down? If so, you can help them move these items to a location where they can reach much easier. Keep in mind that you don’t want the items too low either, as that can also increase the risk of falls.

Non-Slip Strips
There are non-slip strips that you can get for your loved one’s home, as well. These are strips that will provide your loved one with the traction they need to prevent or reduce the risk of falling. You can put them in each room and in their bathtub.

Hiring a Home Care Provider
If you are really concerned about your loved one falling, you can always hire a home care provider for your loved one. The home care provider can be there to help your loved one get around.

Reducing the risk of falls in your loved one’s home can take some time. However, with the tips above, you can make sure your loved one can get around their home easier.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care in Highland Park, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

 

Source
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854807/

Jamie Shapiro
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