It’s no secret that most older adults would prefer to age in place. Most of them have worked for years to make their home feel like their own, and staying there gives them a sense of independence and pride that can lift their spirits well into retirement.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that most senior falls happen at home. As we age, our stability tends to drop, and minor issues like loose floorboards or cluttered walkways can become tripping hazards. Here’s the good news: With a few modifications and a little stability training, you can help your loved one avoid falls and move confidently about their house for years to come.
How to Help Seniors in Tampa Bay Avoid Falls
Seniors in Tampa Bay have a huge range of options to improve balance, stability and coordination. Tampa Bay also has a variety of specialized home-improvement services, with handymen who know exactly how to install safety features to protect seniors. Here are some of our favorites:
- Make Home Improvements
Most senior falls happen at home, and that’s often due to something in the house itself. Loose rugs, railings and floorboards can all be tripping hazards, as can any amount of clutter in the walkways. Dark hallways exacerbate the issue at night by making it harder to see any objects that might be underfoot.
The good news is that most home issues that increase fall risk can be addressed. Simply keeping the place tidy eliminates tripping hazards while helping your loved one feel better about their home. Routine maintenance, such as tightening loose railings, adding traction tape to slippery rugs and putting nightlights in all walkways can help as well.
Sometimes, however, the home itself needs bigger improvements to better serve your loved ones’ needs. Grab bars in particular are one of the most reliable (and cheapest) ways to help your loved one move confidently about their home, by offering a little extra stability in each room. They’re particularly important in the bathroom, where they play a crucial role in helping seniors sit down and get up.
After you’ve had some time to consider what you need, don’t hesitate to reach out to Simply Grab Bars. As the name suggests, this team of highly specialized handymen knows exactly where grab bars would be most helpful. They know how to find the right spot to install them, and they’ll install bars properly. If you’re looking for advice, they’ll happily advise you on how to find the perfect grab bars for your loved one’s home and where to put them.
- Improve Stability With a Community
One of the biggest factors increasing fall risk is physical stability. As we age, we tend to lose strength, balance and coordination, all three of which are necessary to stay upright. However, with regular exercise—especially exercise designed to help reduce fall risk—seniors can dramatically reduce their risk of falling.
Many seniors struggle with solo workouts for a simple reason: They’re often uncomfortable (sometimes even painful) and boring. Never fear: seniors in Tampa Bay have access to community athletic organizations and senior centers with friendly, encouraging instructors who know exactly how to make workouts fun.
Tampa is home to an incredible range of fitness clubs and community centers that your loved one can benefit from. Here are a few worth looking into:
- South Tampa Family YMCA and Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA: Tampa’s network of YMCA facilities offers evidence-based fall prevention programs like Enhance®Fitness, which uses low-impact exercises to improve balance and strength, and Healthy Steps for Older Adults, a series of educational workshops that teach seniors how to reduce their fall risk.
- Shanna and Bryan Glazer Jewish Community Center: This center offers a range of group exercise classes, including those focused on improving balance and strength. They also have an indoor pool perfect for low-impact workouts. (And no, your loved one doesn’t need to be Jewish to join.)
- David Barksdale Senior Citizen Center: This city-operated center provides activities specifically for seniors. They host a variety of workout classes, as well as dance lessons. Dancing is a fantastic way to improve balance and coordination while connecting with others. It makes preventing falls feel like play, not work.
Group workouts don’t just make exercising easier; they combine movement with the mental health benefits of connecting with a community and give seniors a weekly social occasion to look forward to.
- Get Exercise at Home
While group exercise is the most effective way for most seniors to work out, barriers like scheduling conflicts or mobility issues can make it impractical. If your loved one needs or prefers to exercise within their home, consider getting them help from In Home Senior Fitness.
This women- and veteran-owned service offers personalized, one-on-one fall prevention exercises from licensed personal trainers who visit seniors in Tampa Bay at home. Each trainer is also certified as either a physical or an occupational therapist, and they know exactly how to help your loved one improve their mobility and strengthen stabilizing muscles with minimal pain and discomfort.
Find a Fall Prevention Partner in Tampa
In many cases, getting the right resources on your side is the best way to reduce senior fall risk—and one of the best of those is to have a helper at your side.
If your loved one, or another senior in your life, could use help with fall prevention, personal care from FirstLight Home Care of Tampa can help. Our compassionate, professional caregivers can help with many risky activities like getting in and out of bed and bathing. They can also help by keeping important items close at hand or tidying up to remove tripping hazards.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your loved one avoid falls.
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