Preventing Falls At Home

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We often worry about our aging parents’ safety, well-being and even fiscal health, and many adult children find themselves in the sometimes-awkward position of having to bring up these sensitive conversations with aging parents.
Among these concerns, fall prevention may be the hardest to bring up – especially if your parents have chosen to retain their independence by aging in place. Many older adults experience a certain amount of denial about their physical capabilities, which makes it hard to ring up sensitive issues like fall prevention.
Keep reading for some simple ways to broach the conversation with your parents.
This is a tough conversation but a necessary one. Ask your loved one if they are concerned about falling or have taken any spills. Many older adults recognize that falling is a risk but believe it won’t happen to them – even if they’ve already fallen in the past.
If they’re concerned about dizziness, environmental concerns, medications, foot issues or balance, suggest that they talk to a health care provider who can assess their risk and recommend services that can help.
Are your loved ones experiencing challenges managing their own health? Having problems or concerns about medication management? Forgetting to take their medications?
Things that were once easily doable tasks are now more challenging for them. Make them aware that Medicare offers preventative benefits which they can take advantage of – such as the Annual Wellness visit. Encourage them to speak openly with their health care provider about all their concerns.
If your elderly family member or friend wears glasses, make sure their prescription is current. Many are not aware that using lenses where the tinting changes can cause problems when going from bright sunlight into darkened areas.
Changing glasses upon entry or exit is often helpful to allow time for their lenses to adjust. Those dealing with low vision issues should consult their eye doctor.
These are all signs there might be balance or other related issues which a trained physical therapist could diagnose. Through physical therapy, increased balance, strength and conditioning and reduce fall risk.
Additionally, the physical therapist may recommend walking and/or assistive devices to help keep them safe when transferring sit to stand or being mobile in their home and outside environments.
If your older loved one is having a hard time keeping track of medicines or is experiencing side effects, encourage them to have a conversation with their doctor or pharmacist. Suggest that they have their medications reviewed each time they get a new prescription.
My mom had an elaborate spreadsheet to keep track of her medications and schedules. Adding a timed medication dispenser that my sister refilled each month promoted her peace of mind and allowed us to ensure her adherence to the prescribed regime.
Also, beware of non-prescription medications that contain sleep aids—including painkillers with “PM” in their names. These can lead to balance issues and dizziness. If your older loved one is having sleeping problems, encourage them to talk to their doctor or pharmacist about safer alternatives.
There are many simple and inexpensive ways to make a home safer. For professional assistance, consult MEASURAbilities Home Safety. Our physical therapist provides free home safety assessments and customized, clinically guided recommendations and installations.
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We’ve all read about things we can do to avoid unnecessary slip and fall accidents in our home, but how closely have you looked at specifics. Here are a few things you can do in your home, you may not have thought of, addressed or knew would assist you in being falls free in and around your home:
If you or a loved one is uncertain about falls risk factors in your home, schedule a free home safety assessment today, performed by a MEASURAbilities Home Safety Physical Therapist, who will provide clinically guided solutions for you in your environment.
Learn About Our Home Safety Assessments Performed by a Physical Therapist
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The potential effects of early return-to-work without appropriate physical restrictions can be devastating.
All too often, I hear stories of individuals being released back to work following an injury or illness before they are ready. Frequently, these people are victims of systematic pressure, i.e., someone is trying to control claims costs at the expense of their health.
Many times, the individual is released prematurely or inappropriately due to a doctor’s unfamiliarity with the return-to-work form or the physician just doesn’t have the time or resources to test function and fill the form out correctly.
This potentially puts the individual in harm’s way – especially if the appropriate physical work restrictions aren’t in place. Not all employers offer “modified or light duty” assignments that allow employees to come back to work while they heal and gradually progress back to full duty.
Without the appropriate work restrictions in place when an employee returns to work, they may be required to perform work tasks that put them at risk of re-injury or re-aggravation of their condition.
No one wins in this scenario. The employer is at risk of losing their valuable employee and the individual is at risk of developing a chronic condition.
Workplace interventions for preventing needless work disability start with an accurate understanding of what an individual’s true functional abilities are, and one of the most reliable ways to determine a person’s true functional capacity for return to work is through objective functional testing.
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