Try as I may, I have not been able to curb my 80 year old father-in-law’s daredevil behavior. Too many times, I go over to his house to find his step ladder strewn out under his gutters. I look over the bruises forming on his face and arm while he tells me that he fell off the ladder AGAIN. When it comes to elderly people falling, his behavior puts him on the riskier end of the spectrum. I know that he just wants to keep living an independent life. However, if he falls and breaks his hip, that independent life will vanish. He knows it, and so do I.

 

Whether you have an elderly daredevil in your life or are looking after a person who needs a bit of extra care, dive into the discourse below to absorb some of the best tips on how to prevent elderly falls.

 

How it all happens

According to the CDC, more than 27,000 older adults died as a result of falls in 2014. This comes out to a shocking 74 deaths per day. To put this into perspective, note that there were 4,821 on-the-job deaths according to OSHA. This includes high risk jobs such as climbing cell phone towers, offshore fishing and firefighting. What are our parents and grandparents doing that makes their homes more dangerous than underwater welding?

 

What happens when the elderly fall

When we are younger, falling is fun. But as we get more mileage on our bodies, not so much. When the elderly take a spill, the results are often not good.

• Broken bones, such as wrists, ankles or hips, are common.

• Head injuries can result. Elderly persons who are taking medications such as blood thinners can incur serious internal injuries that are hard to spot at first.

• Even without physical injury, a fall can start a harmful cycle by causing the older person to shy away from physical activity for fear of falling. This leads to decreased strength and balance which in turn leads to more falls. That downward spiral is the thing to beat.

The major causes of falls in the elderly

When I speak of elderly people in this article, I am referencing the range of advanced adults ranging from independent keen-agers to the elderly who may need assistance with daily living.

 

The major causes of falls in the elderly are:

• Weakening bodies

• Deficiency in vitamin D

• Medicines such as tranquilizers, antidepressants and sedatives

• Low blood pressure can cause dizziness or fainting

• Vision problems such as glaucoma, cataracts or simple aging eyesight

• Inner ear problems

• Poor footwear

• Reduced sensation in the feet caused by diabetes

 

Work your body

One of the best things an aging adult can do to head off the onset of balance and strength issues that cause falls is appropriate exercise. I’m not suggesting skydiving for the elderly, although my stuntman father-in-law might like the idea. Simple exercise that runs the body through its gentle paces is enough.

 

Exercises for strength and balance

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Get online and check out these exercises to improve your strength and balance. Consistency is more important than setting any endurance records. Do your regimen as per your doctor’s suggestion and enjoy the way that improved fitness feels.

 

Tai chi

The slow, meditative movements of tai chi have been seen in parks and gyms for centuries. Many elderly people use tai chi for its ability to enhance balance and mobility. As a low impact discipline, it is a great choice for anyone needing the health benefits of exercise without the risks of vigorous body training. You have to admit, it’s also kind of cool to tell people that your grandfather is a master of tai chi.

 

Exercise in the pool

Speaking of low impact exercise, many community pools offer exercise programs that take place in the soothing warmth of their hot pool. This can be a relaxing time that will increase your flexibility and cardiac fitness. Pool exercise should be incorporated with other forms of land exercise. The reason for this is that pool exercise does not tend to provide as much benefit in fighting bone loss and osteoporosis

 

In the restroom

As we all know, there are plenty of slip and trip hazards to be aware of in the restroom. The good news is, there is a lot that can be done to remedy most of these hazards.

• Use an anti-slip rug next to the bathtub to aid in safe entry and exit. It is best if the edges of the rug are somehow fastened down to the floor. Many a fall has happened due to unsecured area rugs.

• Install non-skid mats inside the shower or tub. This is an obvious place where slips are just waiting to happen. Be certain that the non-slip mat you are installing actually lives up to your expectations by testing it yourself. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, some shower mats are surprisingly slick once they get wet.

• Non-slip mats also have a place by sinks and other places that are likely to see some water accumulation. The same rules as above apply about these mats being secured to the floor so they do not create a trip hazard.

• To eliminate a host of slipping opportunities, use a sturdy shower chair while in the shower. It’s pretty hard to fall down when you are already sitting down.

• In addition to the shower chair, install a hand held shower head. It is much easier to maneuver a small shower head rather than the constant turning and stepping involved in using a fixed shower head.

• The elderly should enter the shower with the weaker leg first. Exiting the shower should start with the strong side.

• Install arm rests on the toilet. This will help loved ones to maintain balance when using the toilet.

• The liberal installation of grab bars around the restroom will go a long way in terms of safety. Ideal locations for grab bars include near the toilet, inside the shower and within arms reach outside the shower.

 

In the bedroom

There are a few key things that can be done to ensure that the bedroom is the safe, comfortable place that it is supposed to be. Observe these simple keys to avert trips and falls before they happen:

• Sleep in a bed that is easy to get in and out of. This may mean simply lowering the height of the bed or may entail the purchase of a bed that raises up and down to aid in safe entry and exit.

• Be sure that there is a lamp available that can be switched on while still in bed. This does not mean that the lamp itself has to be right next to the bed. There are plenty of lamp cord switches that can be installed on the headboard itself.

• Keep a flashlight by the bed in case of power outages.

In the rest of the house

Besides these high risk areas, how does the rest of your house measure up when it comes to trip hazards?

• The CDC recommends that all staircases be well lit along the entire run of stairs from top to bottom.

• At times, well-meaning elderly are reluctant to fully use normal lighting when they are out of bed at night. They feel like others will be disturbed if they do. Use automatic night lights in hallways and stairwells. As night lights are cheap and easy to put to use, this is a simple remedy that helps the elderly see while visiting the restroom or kitchen at night.

• Aside from the critical areas mentioned above, be sure that the rest of the house is well lit. This will help your loved one to clearly see and avoid obstacles in his or her path.

• Install non-slip treads on all bare wood steps. Those lovely wood steps may be quite a slip hazard. Don’t let it happen.

• Speaking of stairs; ask yourself if it is possible for your loved one to live on one level. If your elderly parent’s living accommodations never require that he or she have to climb the stairs, all the better.

• Keep all floors clutter free. I know that this may sound trite, but in our homes, life happens. Be extra vigilant to view clutter as a health hazard to anyone who may have less than perfect balance. Children should be taught the importance of picking up after themselves for the safety of grandma or grandpa. To be honest, I have never liked the feeling of my bare foot applied to a Lego that has been strategically placed to intercept me on my midnight quest for a snack. Cleaner is safer in this case.

• Either remove all area rugs or secure all edges down. These rugs are just waiting to fold over or bunch up and trip an elderly person. Take this one seriously.

• Take a look at the areas where an elderly person will be walking. Is there enough room to maneuver around things with a walker or cane in tow? If not, re-arrange things to give them a wide berth.

• Do not have rolling carts or unstable furniture that will scoot when someone attempts to use them for stability. These movables only provide a false sense of security for a person needing to steady himself.

• Elderly people who are not so steady on their feet should always wear rubber soled shoes that provide good traction. Unfortunately, this precludes them from wearing the smooth soled types of shoes that are so popular with the older generation.

• Remove all door sills that protrude upward more than a half inch and replace them with a low profile solution instead.

When outside

How about fall hazards that arise outside of the home? While there are plenty of situations where one cannot control the environment outside of the home, there are a few precautions that are worth taking.

• Sprinkle rock salt or cat litter on icy surfaces.

• Realize that a good amount of falls happen while getting in and out of a car. A bit of extra caution is in order here. A conveniently folding cane that is placed within reach in the car will help with balance when entering or exiting the car.

• Elderly people are encouraged to take the liberty of simply bypassing icy sections of sidewalks and walk on the adjacent grass if conditions permit. Why take the risk?

For the elderly that are at much higher risk of falling

The ideas that we have discussed above are applicable to independent adults or loved ones needing a bit of help in the home. Let’s discuss more serious measures for situations where our loved one needs constant in-home care.

As a person ages and his or her independence wanes, the goal of giving good care not only entails the care itself but the dignity of the person being cared for. There are tools of the trade that can be brought to bear that allow caregivers to keep a vigilant eye on the safety of the loved one while being as unobtrusive as possible.

 

Use floor mat alerts

Once a loved one gets to the point where she needs near constant supervision, the prospect of falls is a constant worry. Sometimes the elderly beloved wants to get up out of bed for a midnight snack or to use the restroom. The use of an electronic signaling device will allow a caregiver to be available at a moments notice without having to hold vigil in the person’s room. Place a pressure sensitive floor mat at the edge of the bed where the loved one will step down out of bed. These floor mats can communicate wirelessly with a receiver that can be placed outside the room where a caregiver will hear it. This affords the elderly person the dignity of privacy in the bedroom while still allowing a caregiver to be handy when needed.

Use bed or chair pad alerts

Another way to get notification that a loved one is up and about is through the use of a chair or bed pad. These pads work in the opposite way as the floor pads mentioned above. When the weight of the elderly person leaves the bed pad, the alert box is wirelessly notified, allowing the caregiver to offer any assistance needed.

Use a pull string monitor

For a step in a simpler direction, install an uncomplicated pull string monitor. These devices use a string with a small clip that is attached to the loved one’s clothing. When the elderly person attempts to get out of bed or their chair, a small magnet on the end of the string is pulled away from the monitor box, causing an alarm to sound. Although these types of monitors are not able to provide discreet monitoring like the other systems mentioned, they are simple to install and use.

 

There are times when there may be magnetically sensitive equipment involved in the care of an elderly person. In these cases, a magnet pull string may not be the best choice. There are non-magnet pull string monitors available for these situations.

A wireless receiver preserves dignity

When we are talking about using electronic aids in giving care to our loved ones, dignity is an issue that must always be in the forefront of our minds. The thing I like about using a wireless receiver in the systems mentioned above is that the alarm does not need to sound so loud that it is audible from inside the patient’s room and out to wherever family or a caregiver may be posted. Placing the wireless alert box out near the caregiver will avoid an alarming signal inside the patient’s room. This scenario affords more discretion. Alarm volume can be set conservatively or even to silent alarm mode.

Find help in your community

For these situations where constant care is needed, you may want to check out online resources for finding help in your community. The Eldercare website will help you locate these local services available, whether that be financial assistance or help in with food and nutrition.

 

Dignity Dignity Dignity

It can’t be said too many times. When our loved ones get to the place in life where trips and falls can be life threatening, the desire to watch over them can make it hard to balance their needs in terms of safety with their need for dignity. Remember that our loved ones most likely remember a time when they were young, strong and independent. Let’s ensure that our watchful eye for safety leaves room for the precious person’s dignity as much as possible.