What Causes Accidental Falls Among the Elderly
As the aging years approach, your loved one can be at risk to falls. Their agility and strength have dwindled making them prone to trips, slips, and falls. Seniors have to be protected from falls as these can result in disabilities, injuries, and other negative conditions.
It’s important to know what can possibly cause these falls so that they can be prevented. As a key provider of Personal Care Service in San Antonio, Texas, let us enumerate with you the common reasons that seniors fall. With this information, you can also equip yourself with knowledge on how to prevent it from happening.
- Loss of balance and coordination
In the aging years, an older adult’s ability to keep themselves steady and flexible can diminish. This is mostly because they’re already inactive. The sedentary lifestyle mostly seen among the aging population heightens the possibility of declining balance and coordination. This can be addressed when your senior loved one maintains an active lifestyle. They may need assistance from our Home Care team so they can be mobile safely. - Declining vision
The quality of a senior person’s vision also declines with age, making it difficult for them to see or even see clearly. Because of this, they may not be able to see some little obstacles on the paths they’re walking and they can easily slip. As much as possible, bring your aging loved one to an eye checkup so that whenever they will acquire some vision problems, these can be remedied as early as possible. - Medication side effects
Another common reason for falls among the seniors is the side effect of the medicines they’re taking. They may experience dizziness, dehydration, or other negative reaction to the medicine that can lead to falling. Ensure that when the doctor prescribes a new drug, you’ll know the side effects that may occur. - Living conditions
Your senior loved one can also trip at home. There are many risky areas in their home that should be provided with safety precautions to prevent any fall occurrence. These areas include the bathrooms, pathways, and stairways. If necessary, install grab bars, rubber mats, and adequate lighting in these areas so that your elderly loved one can keep themselves from falling. - Chronic illnesses
Seniors can also acquire chronic ailments in their later years. These conditions can affect the way they walk or function and can give them pain whenever they try to stay active. It’s vital that your loved one should be diagnosed with their conditions accurately so that the treatments and management can be administered properly, and the risks of falls can be addressed.
As your partner in providing Senior Care Services to your aging loved one, we work with you in finding ways to prevent fall incidents at home. Our team is always ready to aid your loved one when you request for assistance. If you intend to know more about our services, contact us at Above and Beyond Caregiving, Inc.