When caring for a senior loved one, fall prevention should be a top priority.
Each year, 3 million older adults are treated in the emergency room due to nonfatal and fatal fall injuries.
The best way to protect your loved one is to learn what makes them most susceptible to falls and how to prevent them.
While not all fall injuries are serious, 1 out of 5 falls will lead to head injuries, hip fractures, strains, sprains, and broken bones.
Reducing your loved one’s risk of falling will help them maintain their health and well-being. All it takes is one fall to affect an older adult’s quality of life.
Find out more about risk factors for falls, fall prevention at home, and when to consider transitioning your loved one to a community setting.
Top causes and risk factors for falling
Many factors may contribute to falls in older adults.
The most common causes include:
- Health diseases
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Dementia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- Heart conditions
- Medication side effects
- Sedatives
- Antidepressants
- Antipsychotics
- Opioids
- Environmental factors
- Clutter
- Poor lighting
- Slick floors
- Loose carpet or rugs
- Impaired vision
- Infections
- Decline in physical fitness
- Past falls
- Improper footwear
- Loose clothing
How can you prevent falls at home?
The good news is that you can prevent most falls by taking safety precautions.
Even if your senior loved one is independent and doesn’t need much support, keeping their home safe and clutter-free is essential to their future health.
Walking through your loved one’s home can give you an idea of what safety measures to take.
If your loved one’s home is cluttered with tripping hazards and poorly lit, you can help by cleaning with them and fall-proofing their commonly used spaces.
Older adults need clear paths and good lighting to see where they’re going and prevent them from tripping and falling.
Install new light switches, light bulbs, and night lights to give them enough lighting to see where they’re going at all times. Make sure all walking surfaces are clear and dry. Add in non-slip mats anywhere that could get wet.
Staying up to date on your loved one’s physical and mental health can also reduce their risks of falling.
If you notice your loved one is having difficulty getting around, they may need assistive devices, handrails, and grab bars. Also, consider adding a shower chair or a raised toilet seat to their bathroom.
Seniors with memory disease may also need extra care and support to ensure their comfort and safety.
At The Kensington Redondo Beach, our team monitors our resident’s mental, emotional, and physical health to ensure they have the proper care plan to stay healthy.
Our caring team lives our promise to love and care for our residents as we do our own families, and our community builds strong relationships with each other among residents and team members. When a resident is feeling off or there’s a change in their health, our 24/7 team is the first to realize, and we partner with residents and their families to guarantee their safety.
With individualized care plans, we can give our residents the support they need to maintain their strength and thrive.
3 fall prevention strategies at home for seniors
Taking the right fall prevention precautions will reduce the risk of your loved one taking a life-changing fall.
Stay active
Engaging in physical activity for even 20 minutes a day can help your loved one maintain strength, balance, and gait and keep their joints, ligaments, and tendons flexible. At The Kensington Redondo Beach, we host daily exercise classes with healthcare professionals at least 30 minutes a day. In addition, our daily walking club frequents Redondo Beach to enjoy the fresh air and dose of vitamin sea!
In enhanced assisted living and memory care communities, seniors can participate in physical and occupational therapy and life-enrichment activities, which are effective ways to keep them in shape.
Monitor medications
Often, older adults are prescribed at least one medication to improve their quality of life.
However, medication may sometimes cause negative side effects that lead to dizziness or drowsiness. This is even more likely to occur if your loved one takes multiple medications.
Our 24/7 care team is able to manage all medications, notice side effects, and work directly with their physicians to manage. With this, our team takes all responsibility off from the family.
It’s important to monitor your loved one after they begin taking a new medication to see if they experience side effects that could put them at risk of falling.
Maintain a safe home
Your loved one’s home should be a comfortable and safe place where they don’t need to worry about falling.
While keeping your loved one’s home free of clutter and adequately lit are the first steps in creating a safe home, you can also make other home modifications. The Kensington Redondo Beach was designed to have all of the safety features needed for seniors to feel safe and thrive.
If your loved one has difficulty standing for long periods, they will benefit from having a bench in their shower. With a bench and grab bar, you will significantly reduce your senior’s risk of falling in the bathtub
To prevent your loved one from climbing or using stools, be sure that their cooking utensils and accessories are within easy reach and that only lower shelves are being used.
When it’s time to transition to a community setting
If it’s a challenge for your loved one to safely complete daily tasks on their own, you may consider transitioning them to a supportive community.
Older adults who move to senior living communities receive around-the-clock care, support, opportunities to socialize, healthy meals, and rehabilitation services.
With a full spectrum of clinical support and on-site nurses licensed to administer medication and injections, your loved one can regain and improve their health.
While being a caregiver is a rewarding and selfless job, it can be an exhausting one.
If you begin to experience caregiver burnout and it becomes difficult to care for yourself, you and your loved one would benefit from the extra help The Kensington Redondo Beach offers.
If possible, it’s best to transition your loved one early on in their memory disease or health condition, this way, they can get the most out of senior living and have more say in their preferences.
The Kensington Redondo Beach can support you and your loved one
With a compassionate and understanding team and the best amenities available, we can maintain Our Promise to love and care for your family as we do our own.
Whether your loved one needs a temporary home while they recover from a health condition, such as knee replacement surgery, or they need a forever home, we are here.
When your senior joins one of our communities, they receive:
- A full spectrum of clinical support
- A medical director
- Alzheimer’s care
- Dementia care
- Speciality diets in excellent dining services
- On-site rehabilitation and fitness
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- A calendar full of life-enrichment activities
- Luxury suites
- Beautiful grounds to stroll
Contact us and check out our blog to learn more about our assisted living and memory care communities, caregiver resources, and upcoming events.