How Can a Simple Slip and Fall Change Everything for an Aging Loved One?

Slipping and falling is not something anyone wants for themselves or a loved one. However, the risk of slipping and falling increases with age. As people get older, they deal with more and more physical challenges due to diminished strength.

For example, when a person ages, even if they exercise regularly, they will reach a point when they can no longer add muscle mass and ultimately begin losing it, no matter how much they walk, jog, do water aerobics, or other activities.

It’s absolutely essential people become aware of their physical limitations and other challenges in order to maintain safety as much as possible.

A simple slip and fall can change everything for an elderly individual. It could lead to serious injuries or something minor.

Minor injuries.

A minor injury could be a sprained wrist, twisted ankle, or a few bumps and bruises. Hopefully that’s all that happens to an elderly loved one. If the senior is able to escape with just minor injuries, they should certainly be grateful for that and take it as a clue they need to think about avoiding the very situations that could put them at unnecessary risk in the future.

Major injuries.

Major injuries can include broken legs, concussions, and much more. The mortality rate for seniors 65 and over following a broken hip, for example, can be as high as 27 percent. The mortality rate usually begins relatively low at 65 years of age, but increases by 4 percent every single year after that.

If a person understands their own limitations and feels there are various risk factors for themselves with regard to tripping and falling, they should call on help for various tasks. The best type of help is not family or friends, but home care support services.

They need to recognize their risks.

When people are aware about their physical capabilities and other risk factors in their life, they are more likely to stay abreast of their own safety. When they do that, they can limit those risk factors even more.

It might be necessary to make home improvements.

Installing grab bars, a stair lift, or even a wheelchair ramp, maybe even improving lighting, can all be simple home improvement projects that improve safety for seniors. The more proactive people are about their own safety, especially as they get older, the better it will be for them to avoid potentially serious and devastating injuries.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Worcester, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.