The Elderly and Falling
Did you know that more than one third of adults 65 and over fall at least once each year; or that 1.8 million Americans over the age of 65 are injured in a fall each year? Most seniors are able to rebound from their accident but with some, the fall can enable a downward spiral of physical and emotional problems. Unfortunately, one in five people who are 65 or older and have sustained hip fractures die within one year after surgery. One in four patients must spend a year or more in a nursing home. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. How can we help our seniors to prevent themselves from falling while at home?
Some Facts to Consider:
Falls occur more frequently within the first two weeks after a senior is discharge from a hospital. If you have a relative or friend in this situation, try to be more available during this time. After a fall, a senior will likely become fearful of falling again, and that may lead to a change in behavior. For example, someone who has experienced a fall might stop walking to the store, or strolling around their neighborhood for exercise, or going to church. This often leads to a situation where they become more isolated, which can sometimes lead to depression. Often a companion can alleviate this concern and help thier senior friend to enjoy a healthier lifetstyle.
Seniors tend to be reluctant about telling relatives or friends that they have experienced a fall because they fear that they may be pressured to leave their home. Relatives or friends should reinforce their desire to help keep up the senior's current lifestyle. The risk of falling increases as you get older and health problems can be a major factor (osteoporosis, changes in blood pressure, depression, dementia, arthritis, incontinence, vision loss or hearing loss).
Reducing the number of seniors who experience a fall in their home will allow your loved ones to remain in thier home longer and may well prevent an unwanted and unecessary decline in health. Creating a safe environment in the home and learning a few facts about fall prevention can go a long way in this regard. Also, a willingness to report a fall that has occured can often lead to preventative steps that will prevent a second fall.
Many times, homecare aides are in a position to help with these preventative goals. Home care aides spend much more time with their patients than nurses or therapists. They are in a position to notice any change in safety awareness or decline in health. These caretakers are sometimes the only contact that the senior may have or could be the only person they would confide in about a fall. These facts have become clear to us at Best Home Care.
At Best Home Care, we have developed a fall-prevention program. Our nurses identify elders , who are at an increased risk of falling or have had a recent fall, then, we provide a plan of care and ongoing follow up to decrease the occurance of future falls.