Your senior’s basic fall prevention plan probably already includes solutions like starting an exercise plan if her doctor approves, adding grab bars to her home, and reducing clutter as much as possible. That covers the basics, but is there more that needs to be included in order to meet your senior’s needs?
Choose Clothes that Don’t Obstruct Movement
Clothing that is flowy around your senior’s feet and legs may be comfortable, but it can get tangled easily. Likewise, clothing that’s too tight or that is too restrictive in other ways might pose problems, too. Help your senior to find clothing that hits that “Goldilocks zone” of just right where she’s comfortable but her clothing isn’t likely to be a tripping hazard.
Wear Footwear in the House
Lots of people prefer to avoid shoes in the house. For some, that’s a cultural choice while other people find that it helps to keep their home cleaner. But for your senior, having shoes on might make her far more stable on her feet. That means that she is much more likely to be able to avoid a fall. She might want to choose stable, rubber-soled shoes that are supportive and that she only wears inside her home. This can help her to feel more comfortable about wearing them inside.
Reassess Medications
Your senior might have been taking the same medications for a very long time, but that doesn’t mean that her body doesn’t react to those medications differently. Chemical changes in your senior’s body can impact how medications affect her. Some of those medications may cause her to be dizzy or to be drowsy, even if they didn’t do that to her before. Talk to your senior’s doctor about her medications and whether any should be adjusted.
Hire a Caregiver
One solution that can make a big difference for your senior is to bring in a caregiver to help her with mobility concerns, household tasks, and anything else that has become a bigger challenge for her. This can help your elderly family member to avoid falling and can also help you to spot new issues that need to be added to her fall prevention plan.
Fall prevention plans don’t have to stay the same all the time. They’re about meeting your senior’s needs in terms of staying as safe and healthy as possible, so they should be fluid and change as her needs change.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Caregiver Services in Westwood MA, or anywhere in Eastern Massachusetts, please call the caring staff at CARE Resolutions – (508) 906-5572.
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