Falls are a leading cause of serious injuries for older Americans, with more than 25% of people over the age of 65 taking a tumble each year. More than 3 million seniors require a hospital visit annually as a result of falls, according to the National Council on Aging, and the cost of their care is more than $80 million dollars a year.
Fortunately, much can be done to prevent dangerous falls and their consequences, including broken bones, damaged joints and head injuries.
Statistically, most falls happen within a senior’s own home, where they naturally spend most of their time. While eliminating trip hazards such as throw rugs, exposed cords and other clutter can help to a certain degree, other steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood that our elderly loved ones are injured in a fall.
Helpful Fall Prevention Devices
1. Alarms and Monitors
Seniors most commonly fall when they get up from their bed or chair without assistance — often despite advice from their healthcare provider and family. While it’s impossible to be with them every second of the day, you can do the next best thing in the form of an electronic monitor. Other options include wearable fall prevention devices and fitness watches that come equipped with fall and impact detectors, which can be configured to automatically call for help when a fall happens.
2. Reaching Devices
Another way seniors find themselves taking an unfortunate tumble is losing their balance while reaching for something on the floor or just beyond their grasp. For only a few dollars, they can buy a handy reaching device that is essentially a lightweight pole with a set of pincers on the end that can grasp and lift items that weight up to a pound.
3. Bedside Rails
These handy devices not only help to prevent seniors from falling out of bed while they sleep, but can help them get in and out of bed while they’re awake. Easy to install and adjust to the proper height, the rails are excellent for people who have weakness on one side of their body or in their hands or arms, as well as for those who experience dizziness when they initially stand up.
4. Grab Bars
One of the best investments we can make in a senior’s home is to install grab bars in the home. While some are anchored to the wall, others are held in place by strong suction cups that make them easy to place in a senior’s shower.
5. Fall Mats
While not specifically a fall prevention device, if a fall does happen, a helpful way to protect senior loved ones from hurting themselves falling out of bed is to cushion their landing. Fall mats are portable and can be placed next to a senior’s bed to lessen the impact of potential roll offs.
6. Gait Belts
Just like grab rails prevent falls by giving a senior something to steady themselves with, gait belts keep seniors steady by giving their caregivers a way to hang onto them while they transfer from bed or a chair, work to improve their stamina or balance by walking, or perform other tasks. The belts fit around a person’s waist and can come equipped with handles that ensure the person providing added support doesn’t lose his or her grip.
Keeping Safety in Mind
While these fall prevention devices can improve the ability of elderly people to live in their home for longer, sometimes they require more care than we can provide by ourselves. If your senior loved one is a fall risk and is unable to safely live in their home, Bethesda offers services at both the assisted living and skilled nursing level of care to ensure their safety.
Our assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities offer physical and occupational therapy services, and a medical professional is either on-site or accessible 24 hours a day. Personal care assistive services are available for what are referred to as “activities of daily living.” The services include help with personal hygiene and grooming, dressing and movement assistance, helping our loved ones to gain or maintain strength and balance as much as possible to allow them to safely navigate their day.
Visit Bethesda’s Senior Home Safety blog for more tips on keeping your loved ones safe.
