How to prevent falls for seniors aging in place?
How to prevent falls for seniors living in an elder community or aging in place? Use the following best practices when it comes to fall prevention. Family members and caregivers are the biggest support to an older adult. They have the ability to identify and resolve fall hazards and prepare the senior’s home to drastically reduce the chances of a bad fall occurring.
Aging in Place Fall Prevention Tips
These basic fall prevention safety tips will keep your loved one safe. It is not rocket science to improve the safety of the home for aging in place.
- Add fall prevention equipment like grab bars in the bathroom next to the toilet and bathtub. Place a non slip rug in front of the bathtub or shower to absorb any water and provide traction.
- Install motion-detection night lights in the bedroom, hallways, bathroom, and kitchen. A source of good lighting at night is critical to navigate the house without tripping or falling.
- Remove throw rugs in the home. These are easy to trip on and often bunch up or flare one corner that can catch the feet as the senior is walking. All rugs in the home should be non slip styles that offer grip to the floor.
- Declutter the home. The more stuff that is in the way when trying to navigate the home the more likely a fall or slip that can lead to a devastating injury will occur.
- Keep hallways and pathways clear. Extension cords running on the floor or excess furniture can cause a fall.
Bathroom Equipment to Prevent Falls
Seniors should consider upgrading or remodeling the bathroom to prevent falls. There are several critical elements to bathroom safety for the elderly.
- Grab bars. By installing grab bars adjacent to the toilet and the shower or bathtub you immediately increase the safety of the bathroom. The transition from sitting to standing or walking into the shower or bathtub is where falls happen.
- Checking the bathroom rugs and changing them to non slip floor mats. When remodeling a bathroom for aging in place consider a nonslip flooring material to create a safe floor in the entire bathroom.
- Adding a shower chair as an upgrade or building in a shower bench during a remodel makes the bathtub and shower area ready for a senior that needs additional assistance bathing. This can be the difference between staying in a skilled nursing facility or going home after an injury that led to hospitalization.
- Non slip shower coating. Creating a non slip surface in the bathtub or shower is important. You can add traction stickers, but applying a coating that gives the entire surface traction is the best option.
- Installing a hand held shower head for seniors allows for easy bathing. When using a shower chair or bench a handheld unit allows the senior or a caregiver to move the water around to improve hygiene through a proper shower.
Secure the Rest of the Home
Once the bathroom is safe the rest of the house can be addressed. The bathroom is so critical for aging in place seniors it should always be addressed first.
Kitchen Safety
A kitchen is a popular place in any home. Make it safe for cooking.
- Keep popular items and utensils in easy-to-reach locations.
- Install full extension drawers and sliding cabinets to maximize space in lower storage areas.
- Get rid of the step ladder or stool
- Instill best practices for senior kitchen safety to avoid fires, falls, and mishaps that lead to injuries.
Bedroom Safety
The bedroom for a senior should have limited furniture in it. The bed, a dresser, night table, and a good comfortable chair are essential. Remove the rest of the clutter. It is helpful to add an easy-to-use light adjacent to the bed so it is turned on before the senior gets out of bed.
Transitioning in and out of the bed is a high fall zone. Make sure the bed is an appropriate height for the individual that will be sleeping on it. Too high and it can be a problem getting in, but most importantly getting out safely. Never allow a senior to jump out of bed, even a couple of inches.
Hallway Safety
Hallways need light. If there is not a light switch adjacent to the bedroom door then add motion-detection night lights in the hallway. Remove rugs in the hallway and avoid extra soft carpet padding.
Fall Prevention Reduces Injury for Older Adults
A small fall can lead to a big injury for a senior. Following simple fall prevention best practices increases the chance of avoiding a debilitating injury. A few important facts caregivers and loved ones should know about falls. This is something that happens frequently. Ultimately, you can make a difference in your mom or dad’s health and well-being by taking fall prevention seriously.
- 36 million falls get reported every single year by old4er adults.
- 32,000 deaths occur because of a fall and most of these occur in the home.
- One out of every five falls causes a serious injury such as a broken bone or head injury
- 300,000 people are hospitalized every single year because of a hip fracture. These falls often result in time spent at a skilled nursing center due to the home not being prepared for them to continue recover at home after the hospitalization.
- More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falls.
- Watch out for mom and grandma, women fall more often than men accounting for 3/4’s of all hip fractures.
Family caregivers are too often the first line of defense in the war against senior falls. Do what you can to help ensure the home is staged for success.