One in four seniors report falling every year; that’s about 4.5 million ER visits, with 1.4 million of those visits resulting in hospitalization. Falls are also the biggest cause of hip fractures in older adults by a wide margin.
Despite the frequency of falls, fall prevention for older adults is possible with the right knowledge and a little help. As most falls happen at home, fall-proofing the home is a great place to start. By knowing the major risk factors and taking proactive steps to address them, you can help your loved one age well wherever they call home.
Tips for Home Fall Prevention for Older Adults in McKinney, TX
The majority of seniors would prefer to age in place. However, their homes often aren’t set up to support this goal. Luckily, that’s a fixable problem; with some elbow grease and the right professional help, you can help your loved one age in place with confidence.
Clear the Walkways
One of the most common causes for seniors falling at home is a tripping hazard: Whether it’s a shoe, a pet toy, a protruding chair leg or a slippery patch of flooring, something underfoot causes them to lose their balance. It’s simple enough to clear out the walkways when you’re in town, but what if you’re traveling—or if you live far away?
Without help, many seniors struggle to keep up with the gradual accumulation of clutter in walkways. That’s why one of the best ways to prevent falls is to simply get them help tidying up. Through regular maintenance visits, a good cleaning service like Maid in Texas can make sure all their walkways stay clear, preventing tripping hazards from building up.
Fix Things Up
Another common reason why seniors fall at home is that their home isn’t set up to help them stay on their feet. However, there are a whole host of accessibility improvements that can help. For example, reflective strips can point out the location of stairs and drop-offs, making it easier to avoid tripping, while grab bars give older adults a way to steady or catch themselves. Each one can help meet a specific mobility need that your loved one might have.
However, many of these improvements require specific skills and tools to install. The humble grab bar might be simple in concept, but it needs to be installed sturdily enough to bear several times your loved one’s weight. It also needs to be attached to at least two studs in the wall; if not, it’ll just break the drywall.
If you don’t have the skills to DIY it—or if you just don’t live in the area—calling a handyman service like Fixed By Nick can help. In addition to installing most accessibility improvements properly, they can also handle a variety of other repairs around the house. Anything that requires a ladder or you otherwise don’t want your loved one to try themselves, they can help handle.
Shed Some Light
The most likely time for older adults to fall at home is during a late-night visit to the bathroom or pantry. Younger people might be able to move around their homes confidently in the dark, but aging comes with reduced coordination and low-light vision, so seniors are much more likely to trip over loose objects or misjudge the location of stairs.
One good way to help prevent this is to add a little bit of light during the night, such as floor-level night lights or light strips. These help older adults get their bearings and illuminate any tripping hazards, significantly reducing their chances of stumbling in the dark.
But what if your loved one’s house doesn’t have enough floor-level outlets to light up the walkways? In that case, you’ll need to contact an electrician like Blue Line Electric to get help adding some. In addition to adding outlets, an electrician can also install recessed lighting and other types of illumination to keep floors visible at night.
Get Help With Fall Prevention for Older Adults in McKinney, TX
The fact that most senior falls happen at home can seem frightening, but it really just means that they’re preventable. Fortunately, McKinney has the right resources to help, from assistance installing accessibility features and lighting to help with keeping the walkways clear.
If a senior in your life needs a little more direct help to stay on their feet, FirstLight Home Care of McKinney, TX is here for them. Our compassionate caregivers can give older adults a strong arm to lean on both in and out of the house. They can also help with light tidying to keep walkways clear and provide assistance with more fall-prone daily tasks, like hygiene.
Want to know more about how we can help seniors find resources for aging well? Contact us today.
