According to the Government of Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury among older Canadians. On their website, they also point out that 20 to 30 percent of seniors experience one or more falls each year. As well, Canada.ca reports that falls cause the vast majority of all seniors’ injury-related hospitalizations at 85 percent and are the cause of nearly all hip fractures at 95 percent. Half of these falls causing hospitalization happen at home. Quite obviously, steps must be taken to prevent them.
HomeserviceClub.com informs that research shows that there are three important elements of fall prevention in the home. They are medication management, physical activity and home modification.
1. Medication management.
If the elderly loved ones living in your home have had medications prescribed to them, it will take some effort on your part to ensure that the medicines are being taken. However, it’s also important to monitor the health of your elderly loved ones so that those same medications aren’t producing side effects that are worsening their health. Enjoying optimal health, quite understandably, is a key to being able to traverse throughout the home safely.
“If your older loved one is having a hard time keeping track of medicines or is experiencing side effects, encourage them to discuss their concerns with their doctor and pharmacist,” advises the National Council on Aging, “Suggest that they have their medications reviewed each time they get a new prescription.”
2. Physical activity.
In many cases, seniors are afraid to be physically active for fear of falling. But that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t exercise at all. Helping your elderly loved ones to develop and maintain better strength can come by way of light exercises they can do with the help of chairs. For example, low-weight bicep curls while sitting down and calf raises while holding on to the back of a chair.
On EverydayHealth.com, Melanie Winderlich suggests some other low-impact exercises for seniors that allow for less strain on the body. “Exercising in the water, whether swimming or doing water aerobics, is a good option, as are gentle forms of yoga, Pilates, tai chi, stretching, and light weight training,” she lists.
3. Home modification.
“Install grab bars and handrails,” advises Wyatt Myers on EverydayHealth.com, “These safety devices are crucial for going up and down stairs, getting on and off the toilet, and stepping in and out of the bathtub without injuring yourself.”
At LifeCare Mobility Solutions, we know that the bathroom poses the greatest fall risk for seniors and those with disabilities. As a result, we proudly offer a variety of high-quality home bathroom modifications that are available to increase the safety of completing basic daily living activities in your home. Modifications can be as simple as changing water faucet handles from knobs to levers or as comprehensive as replacing the shower or bathtub with something more accessible.
If you have any questions about our home bathroom modifications, please don’t hesitate to call us at 647-350-4488 or email us at info@lifecaremobility.ca. You may also contact us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
