How to Prevent Trips and Fall Injuries in the Elderly

Trips and falls injuries are one of the most common injuries in the elderly. As expected, aging has made them susceptible to these types of accidents because of their reduced physical strength. When tri and fall accidents occur, they may cause broken bones, hip fractures, and head or body injuries. As an orthopedic surgeon in Deland, we help many elderly patients work through their pain and suffering, but we urge them to practice safety in the home.   Helping them prevent falls is a great way to help them stay independent and healthy for a long time. The frequency of falls varies from one individual to another and this variance is caused by several factors which vary from one individual to another. These are just a few of the ways that you can prevent slip and fall accidents and injuries from occurring in your elderly loved ones.

Keep Up with Their Eye Care

Follow up with their eye doctors if they have a history of eye problems or worsening vision. If they use glasses, you should ensure they adhere to their prescriptions and always have their glasses on as advised by their doctor.

Watch Them

Observe them closely to see if they keep holding onto furniture, walls or people for support while working and see an orthopedic surgeon immediately, if noticed.  This may indicate that they are not feeling balanced and they are feeling weak, which can be something that a doctor may want to address to prevent injury.

Listen to Their Concerns

Encourage them to always discuss their health challenges with their health care providers or care givers.  When you truly listen to them, you will understand how to provide them with what they need so they feel safe in their home.

Watch Medication Effects

Keep close watch on their medication adherence pattern and watch out for the adverse effects of these medications.  If you notice anything strange, report to a doctor or pharmacist immediately. Also, make plans to help them adhere to their medications.

Assess Their Home

One of the best ways to protect your loved ones from trips and falls is to perform routine safety assessments of their homes.  Remove any clutter or strange furniture arrangements, lighten up dark areas, and provide rails for support where necessary, and ensure bath tubs and slippery floors have rails for extra support.

Get Them a Help Button

Lastly, get them to be a part of a trip and fall prevention plan. Although some of them may believe they will never be a victim, others may be very concerned about it.  Find a service that will indicate when they are in an emergency-related situation so that you know they are safe at all times.

These are just a few of the ways that you can prevent your elderly loved ones from having many trip and fall accidents in their home.  When you have elderly relatives, they have more brittle bones and weak bodies, which can make trips and fall injuries much more severe.  Contact our orthopedic surgeon in Deland to hear more tips to keep them stable and safe today.