Most older adults would prefer to age in place instead of moving. There are good reasons for that: it lets them continue to enjoy the home they’re proud of and gives them a sense of dignity, pride and independence.
As seniors in Boise age and they become more prone to falls, however, they may need a little help to stay in the home they love. From making their home more accessible to helping them improve their own balance and coordination, there are plenty of things you can do to help your loved one avoid falls and ensure they can continue to enjoy their home for years to come.
How to Prevent Falls for Seniors in Boise
Seniors in Boise have no shortage of resources to help them stay on their feet. From evidence-based workouts that improve stability to help with the home and yard, there’s a wide range of options for helping your loved one avoid falling. Here are some of our favorites:
- Improve Balance With Proven Exercise Classes
One of the most common causes of senior falls is that we tend to lose balance and coordination as we age. However, this is far from inevitable. Regular exercise, especially in the form of workouts designed to improve stability, can delay or even reverse this loss of mobility.
While many seniors hesitate to exercise due to an understandable fear of falling, there’s a simple way to help them move past their anxiety and get moving: Sign them up for one of the many exercise classes for fall prevention at the Downtown Boise YMCA. These classes are all hosted by certified trainers who know how to encourage and support older adults working to improve their stability.
Even better, there’s a huge range of senior workouts available at the Y, making it easy to find a class that matches your loved one’s needs, schedule and interests. The most effective overall is their Movement & Mobility class, which is specifically designed to mitigate fall risks. It combines movements that strengthen stabilizing muscles and improve flexibility with positive, empowering messages that help seniors regain their confidence.
However, that’s far from the only class at the Y that can help with fall prevention. Workouts like Ageless Barre & Balance and Chair Yoga offer stabilizing anchors to help seniors in Boise work important muscle groups without risking a fall, while their many dance classes like Line Dancing and Zumba Gold give your loved one a fun way to improve their body awareness and coordination.
For a more structured approach to balance-building exercise, look into Fit and Fall Proof classes hosted by St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center at St. Mark’s Catholic Church. This evidence-based 10-week program meets twice weekly and focuses on exercises proven to improve balance and stability. And it gets results: By the end of the program, 70% of participants report better physical functioning, and 3 out of 4 say it improved their energy level and mental health.
- Tidy Up Common Tripping Hazards
Most falls happen at home. Impaired balance can turn annoyances like loose railings and cluttered floors into tripping hazards. Even if a fall never occurs, awareness of their fall risk can make many seniors cautious and anxious about moving about their own house, preventing them from ever fully relaxing.
Fortunately, many falls at home are preventable with a little bit of ingenuity. By fixing issues and adding accessibility features, you can make your loved one’s home actually work for them. Here’s how:
- Handle routine maintenance tasks promptly. Replace dying lightbulbs, nail down loose floorboards and tighten up wobbly railings. While you’re at it, make sure to clear all clutter from walkways—this can present a tripping hazard, especially at night.
- Make any easy improvements you can: Add night lights to dim hallways and reflective tape to the edges of stairs. If you’re handy with a drill, go a step further by installing grab bars next to tubs, toilets and possibly even beds.
- Make a list of more difficult improvements, like leveling out uneven flooring, stretching carpets to remove wrinkles or installing elevators. These are often too complicated to handle on your own, so it’s best to call a trusted professional like Hillside Handyman to help.
By improving your loved one’s house so it meets their needs, you can help them regain the sense of confidence and independence that comes with living in a home they’re proud of.
- Stay on Top of Yard Work
Just as floor clutter and loose carpets can present a tripping hazard indoors, tall grass, lawn debris and uneven walkways pose a fall risk outside the house. Severe overgrowth can make some seniors hesitant to leave the house, so it’s best to keep the exterior of your loved one’s home in good condition.
It’s also important to handle outdoor issues before seniors get to them. With reaching and bending motions, large tools to handle and heavy loads to move over uneven ground, yardwork is one of the most risky activities for people with impaired balance. Taking care of outdoor issues as they arise will remove your loved one’s temptation to take a crack at it.
To ensure your loved one doesn’t try digging up an unwanted bush or cutting down a tree limb, it’s best to get them accustomed to having their yardwork handled for them. Consistency is key here, so it pays off to hire a professional lawn care service like Weed Man for regular maintenance visits. That way, seniors in Boise will have a lawn they can be proud of—without bringing out the hedge trimmer themselves.
Find a Companion for Fall Prevention
While the resources in Boise are great for reducing senior fall risks, nothing will ever be as effective as a trusted companion to lean on for support. That’s what personal care from FirstLight Home Care of Boise gives them.
Our compassionate caregivers ensure seniors in Boise always have a companion to help them avoid fall risks. They offer help with all sorts of everyday tasks that can lead to falls like bathing, dressing and using the bathroom. They’ll also keep walkways clear of clutter, and they can even ensure your loved one’s most-used items are close at hand.
Want to learn more about how we can help? Contact us today.
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