Does Your Elderly Parent Have a Higher Risk of Falling?
Have you worried about your elderly parent falling? Maybe you can’t be around enough to keep an eye on them, but you worry about them every day. If this is the case, the first thing that you might want to do is hire senior care providers to look after your elderly parent. The other thing that you might want to do is to figure out whether your elderly parent has a higher risk of falling. If they do, you can talk to their doctor and work with the senior care providers to help them stay safer.
Getting Lightheaded
One of the risk factors for falling is feeling lightheaded. How often does your elderly parent feel lightheaded? Are they often having to sit down because they feel this way? Does your elderly parent need to hold onto something when they stand up because they feel lightheaded? If these things are happening, then your elderly parent does have a higher risk of falling. Feeling lightheaded often should be checked out by their doctor. Senior care providers can offer immediate assistance if your senior feels lightheaded when walking, standing, going up stairs, etc.
Fell in the Past
Has your elderly parent already fallen in the past? If this is the case, they may have a higher risk of falling again. The main reason for this is because many senior citizens who fall often get scared they will fall again. This fear can cause them to be unsteady on their feet causing them to fall again.
Taking Medications
How many medications is your elderly parent taking? If they are on 4 or more medications, the chances of them experiencing dizziness due to medication side effects is much greater than if they were taking fewer medications. Is your elderly parent taking a medication that has dizziness or tiredness on the list of side effects? If this is the case, your elderly parent’s risk of falling will be higher.
Lack of Physical Activity
Does your elderly parent get very minimal physical activity? The more your elderly parent sits around without moving, the more tense and tight their body is going to be. This stiffness could make it difficult for your elderly parent to walk. When they try to walk, they may have a higher risk of falling.
Conclusion
These are some of the things that might increase your elderly parent’s risk of falling. Now that you know this, you can determine more of what your parent’s fall risk might be. If they have a higher risk of falling, you should make sure they have senior care providers around more often to help prevent falls.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/prevent-falls-and-fractures#:~:text=Scientists%20have%20linked%20several%20personal,sitting%20(called%20postural%20hypotension).