Tag Archive for: fall risks

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12 Steps to Prevent Senior Falls When Caring for Aging Parents

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Prevent senior falls at home with these tips.

Falls among senior citizens are all too frequent and may have serious consequences. If you’re caring for aging parents, taking measures to prevent senior falls is crucial, such as examining the home for fall dangers like throw rugs or other tripping hazards, poor lighting, and an absence of appropriate grab bars and railings. But there’s another strategy being suggested now: creating a fall plan of care, which, when implemented correctly, has been shown to cut down on fall-related emergency room visits up to 40%.

So while we definitely do not want to plan for a loved one to fall, we can be better equipped by helping the individual take the following steps:

  • Remain vigilant – Avoid letting your mind wander and instead keep your full concentration on your surroundings.
  • Check vision – Regular eye exams and constantly wearing eyeglasses if required can ensure tripping hazards are seen and avoided.
  • Practice balance – Exercises as basic as lifting one foot off the ground and staying balanced on the other foot for up to 30 seconds often helps.
  • If a fall does occur, understanding how to fall more safely can minimize the chance of injury. In particular:
    • Avoid head injuries by intentionally turning your face away from the fall, or folding your chin to your chest if falling back.
    •  Bend the elbows and knees to avoid the rigidity that can trigger a break to the wrist or elbow when trying to catch your fall.
    • Roll through the fall, which diffuses the impact of the fall over a larger portion of the body instead of concentrating it on one area.
    • Try to land on fatty tissue, such as on your thighs or bottom, rather than on more bony surfaces such as hips, knees, and elbows.
  • Using the following proactive measures can also go a long way towards avoiding a fall:
    • Be sure that all walking areas both inside and outside of the home are free from clutter and any possible tripping risks, such as extension cords.
    • Keep flooring surfaces, particularly in the bathroom and kitchen, clean and dry.
    • Install grab bars around the bathtub and toilet.
    • Make sure handrails are in place and secure alongside all stairwells.
    • Remove and replace any worn carpeting and remove all loose rugs.

At Harmony Home Health & Hospice, we’re experienced in making the home environment as safe and secure from falls as it can be to prevent senior falls, and we are skilled in providing ambulation help and oversight when needed to help ensure fall risk is reduced. We are also available to engage in physician-approved fitness programs to boost stability and flexibility, resulting in overall improved health.

Call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to find additional ways we are able to help and to learn more about our in-home care in Ogden and the surrounding communities.

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7 Great Fall Prevention Exercises for Seniors

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These fall prevention exercises for seniors can reduce the risk for serious injury.

The CDC shares that as many as one in three seniors fall each year, and surprisingly, less than half of them tell their doctors about those falls. When a senior experiences a fall, even if it does not cause serious injury, he or she can begin to fear falling, leading to reduced involvement in activities, decreased mobility and physical fitness, and eventually, an increased risk of another fall.

In our last blog post, we shared some fall prevention home modifications you can make to boost senior safety. Additionally, there are a number of exercises that seniors can engage in regularly to increase muscle strength and enhance balance, which will not only help to lower the risk of falls, but will also provide the older person with more confidence and improved wellbeing. Check with the senior’s doctor first, and then try these fall prevention exercises, as recommended by our professional home health team:

  • Leg Lifts: Lift the knee as high as your hip (if possible), holding onto a sturdy object such as a chair to maintain balance. Hold the leg up for three seconds or more.
  • Flex and Point: While seated, point the toes and then flex them. Repeat with both feet.
  • Toe Taps: In a sitting position, simply tap the toes, repeating with alternating feet.
  • Sit-to-Stand: Holding onto a chair for support, stand and then return to a seated position. Try to gradually decrease reliance on the chair as legs are strengthened.
  • Calf Muscle Strengthening: Holding onto a wall, chair or the kitchen counter, repeatedly raise up and down on tiptoes. As strength improves, try to go higher up on the toes and eventually try the movement on one foot at a time.
  • Shin Muscle Strengthening: Stand and lean against a wall with heels 7 – 8” away from the wall. Lift the toes of both of feet off the ground as high as possible.
  • One-legged Stand: Hold onto a secure object, and then raise one leg off the ground and maintain balance on the standing leg.

Falling can cause devastating injury to an older adult. Contact Harmony Home Health & Hospice, the leading provider of home care in Ogden and the surrounding locations, for more fall prevention tips to ensure the seniors you love remain safe. Call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) for more information about our home health services for seniors.