3 Ways to Prevent Your Loved One from Falling

Fall Prevention Awareness Day is also the first day of fall. Coincidence? I think not!

In most cases, fall prevention is possible. Lets do everything we can to keep seniors safe and keep 

More than one in four people over 65 will fall each year! With more than 50 million seniors living in the United States, that means over 12 million seniors will fall this year. According to the CDC, more than half of those seniors will not tell anyone they fell. With that said, 25 percent of older adults who fall will be treated in the emergency room. With medical costs continuing to rise, we need to do all we can to keep our loved one safe and educate caregivers on fall prevention measures.  Together we can help reduce the amount of injuries to seniors, especially ones that are preventable.

Here are 3 falls prevention tips:

Talk to Their Doctor or Pharmacist: Understand if the combination of medications they are on might cause them to be unsteady on their feet. If so, see what they can do to alter the medications so your loved ones are not as off-balance.

Home Hazards: Do your loved ones have throw-rugs or clutter in walkways? Those items should be removed and the home should be clutter-free. Although throw rugs may be a “favorite gift” from someone or even help to keep your feet warm on a cold surface, they are easy to trip over and can create a fall. Toss all throw-rugs (or hang them on a wall). Go through the house and make sure living areas are clutter-free. Keep what is important and store it so it is out of the way. Instead of throw rugs throughout their house, make sure your loved ones have house shoes (or regular shoes that they wear in the house) with non-skid soles so their feet stay warm and safe, so they can get around more easily.

Fall prevention 

Install Hand Rails: At least one handrail should be installed in long hallways and in the shower to make sure the home is as safe as possible. There should already be handrails going up and down stairs. This will provide more support for your loved ones as they walk back and forth in their house. If they feel off-balance, it is easy for them to grab the railing to steady themselves.

This is their home away from home.

Our Members are provided with a fun, SAFE environment so they feel like this is their home away from home. We maintain a clutter free environment as they move around our facility and there is always someone available if they need help. We want them to be more comfortable and safe here, even more than they are in their own home!

To learn more about how Naperville Senior Center can provide you some respite and a great social environment for your loved one, contact us at 630.857.3017. You can also schedule a tour to see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”

Learn more 

Fall Prevention, Safe, Clutter-Free

Subscribe to our newsletter for more great blogs. We try to write about relevant and useful topics.