Fall risk is one of the most serious challenges elderly adults face. Throughout the United States each year, one out of every three adults over the age of 64 will experience a serious fall. Many of these will sustain major injuries. This can include fracturing their hips, which will result in death within six months for one out of every four who experience this injury. As a family caregiver, it is important for you to understand your senior’s individual risk for sustaining serious injuries during falls, so you can help them to make changes in their daily life that will reduce the risk of falls, and also protect them if they do experience such an event.
Some factors that increase the potential for sustaining a serious injury during a fall include:
- Elderly adults who struggle with issues such as osteoporosis that reduce bone density and strength are more likely to experience serious injuries such as fractures when they fall. Thin women are at the highest risk for these diseases, but they can and do develop across all demographics
- Insufficient sleep, especially if your parent has not gotten enough sleep over the course of several nights recently or as a chronic issue, is linked to higher risk of more serious injury after a fall
- The use of assistive devices such as canes and walkers can help seniors stay more mobile and active, but they are also linked to the potential for more severe injury after experiencing a fall. One reason for this is the device itself can actually contribute to the fall. Your senior may put too much weight on the device, causing it to slip out from under them, or may trip over the device. Because they were depending on that device, they might not be prepared to sustain the fall and could experience a more serious impact
- Seniors who have fallen in the last three months are at increased risk of experiencing a serious injury if they fall again
If your elderly parent has recently experience of fall, now may be the perfect time for you to consider elder care. An elderly home care services provider can not only help your parent with their recovery from a knee injuries they have sustained from a fall, but can also help them as they move forward. Because seniors who have experienced a fall are far more likely to experience another, having the highly personalized care of a care provider available can help your parent deal with these challenges and stay safe and healthy as they age in place. Not only will this help them to avoid injuries and increase activity and functioning, but it can also improve mental and emotional health, increase independence, and help your parent to enjoy a higher quality of life.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3236252/
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING ELDER CARE IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.