There Are Ways to Prevent Falls Around the Home

No matter if you're a senior citizen living alone or taking care of an older relative within your own home, the risk of falling is still often present. Falling down for a senior, especially one who has an illness such as osteoporosis, can often be fatal. In fact, even the smallest bump can quickly lead to weeks or months of medical treatment. That is why it is so important to take the time and observe the home in order to find areas that could potentially lead to a loved one falling down. Although the risk is never going to be at zero, you can do a variety of things to decrease the chances. Thus the following includes a few of the best ways to prevent falls around the home.

1 - Speak with Your Relative(s)

The first step to preventing falls is to speak with your elderly relatives first. You want to know what they are most worried about around the home. In many cases, they can tell you exactly where they are at the most risk of falling. Use this information to begin creating a plan that tackles the most high-risk areas first.

2 - Repair or Replace Holding Areas

If your home or the home they are staying at has been fitted with balance accessories such as shower rails, it is incredibly important to begin looking at these accessories to see if they need to be repaired or replaced. For example, the shower rails can begin to deteriorate over time and become weak, thus potentially leading to a slip and fall in the shower. Other areas to consider repairing include stair chair lifts and the tiles of the home.

3 - Improve Lighting around the Interior/Exterior

One of the best ways to reduce the risk of falling at night is to improve the lighting system of the home. Because certain elderly people don't have the best eyesight, lighting coming from one single lightbulb or a lamp is often not enough for them. A lack of lighting can drastically distort steps and other declines that can lead to a fall. It must also be noted that this improvement in lighting should also include the exterior of the home. Areas such as the porch and backyard must also be lit up properly.

4 - Remove any Hazards

Many elderly people will tend to leave items around the home that they either can't move or simply forget to put away. A great way to decrease the chances of a fall is to begin removing any hazards around their home. You should look for as many tripping hazards as possible; everything from power cords to pet toys should be cleaned up and removed from heavily trafficked areas.

5 - Observe Their Daily Routine

Unfortunately, many of the falls that occur are later found out to have been preventable. This is because the elderly usually stick with a strict routine, and figuring out how and where they fell can be relatively easy. The issue here is that dangerous situations are often not noticed because either they or their caretakers notice potential risks within their routine. That is why it is highly recommended to observe your elderly relative in order to see what they hold on to, where they step, and so on. This will provide you with a very good idea of what needs to be improved. In addition, the walkthrough may open their eyes to the risk of falling and lead them to change their behavior.