According to the CDC, over 14 million, or one in four seniors, fall yearly. Not all falls are harmful, but 37% of older adults reporting falls said they needed medical treatment or restricted activity for at least a day.
Assisted living communities are supposed to help keep your loved ones safe and happy. Senior fall prevention is a vital part of these safety and wellness measures.
It may not surprise you that fall prevention helps mitigate injury or worse from slips and falls in apartments and common areas. Here’s what you might not know: how assisted living communities carry out fall prevention.
Read on to learn how these communities and their teams are preventing falls. We’ll discuss why falls are so common among the elderly and what assisted living communities do to prevent them.
Why Do Older Adults Fall So Often?
Seniors fall for various reasons — one is psychology. Some people fear the health complications that may arise from a fall so they limit their activities and movement.
Once seniors limit their movements, their joints stiffen and muscles weaken. Their reduced mobility makes it harder to move efficiently, which increases their chances of falling.
Our vision decreases with age thanks to pupil shrinkage, which limits how much light enters the eye. Conditions like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration can affect vision too.
Hearing is likewise negatively affected by long-term exposure to loud noises and age-related cell damage. The reduction of sight and sound makes it hard to navigate as it’s harder to see and hear certain obstacles.
Chronic Conditions
Many conditions affect mobility and cognitive function. It can be difficult to move and judge certain fall hazards. Some of these conditions include:
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s
- Arthritis
- Incontinence
Blood Pressure and Medications
Inconsistent blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias can cause dizziness upon standing. The lack of stability can increase the chance of falling. Some medicines may suppress nervous functions.
Seniors’ alertness and responsiveness are often affected by these prescribed drugs, and taking more than one raises the chances of an older adult falling.
Environmental Factors
Dim lighting, cluttered pathways, loose rugs, and slippery floors are all factors that determine whether a person is likelier to fall. A lack of senior mobility aids also increases the odds of an older adult falling.
Removing factors like poor lighting and loose rugs is only one aspect of fall prevention. Residents still need to be able to move easily regardless of clear walkways and non-slip flooring.
Senior Fall Prevention: Elderly Safety Tips
One way to help prevent falls is to use exercises for stability. Stability exercises increase balance and coordination. These workouts help with flexibility, which aids with reflexes.
Walking heel to toe makes the legs stronger. Back leg raises strengthen the buttocks and lower back. Other useful exercises include:
- Wall pushups
- Side leg raises
- Clock reaches
- Toe lifts
Accommodation for Decreased Sight and Hearing
Care workers can lessen falls and trips by increasing lighting throughout apartments and assisted living common areas. A general rule of thumb is to add good lighting wherever people congregate and live.
Below is a list of where to install proper lighting:
- Hallways
- Bathrooms
- Stairwells
- Activity rooms
- Bedrooms
- In transitory areas between rooms (like foyers)
- Entryways
- Outdoor pathways
- Garden areas
Admittedly, there’s not much you can do about hearing issues. The staff can control background noises, like TV and radio.
Care staff should ensure residents make their eye and hearing appointments. Spotting potential health issues makes it easier to spot if there are issues with seniors’ eyes and ears beyond getting old.
Looking After Chronic Conditions and Medications
The community staff should have a solid understanding of the impact of certain chronic conditions on a resident’s health. Diabetes, for example, can increase the chances of someone falling due to:
- Decreased vision
- Nerve damage
- Episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Arthritis weakens the muscles around joints so people’s flexibility and reaction times are compromised. Strokes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s either limit movement or increase unintentional movement.
Incontinence causes people to rush to the bathroom. Older adults either fall due to bumping into things or tripping at night.
Staff should be on the lookout for all medical issues and have the training to help with them. Medication management will aid with complications that come from prescription drugs.
Managing a senior’s medications involves more than ensuring they take them. The staff should know how these drugs interact with foods, drinks, and any side effects.
Residents should have individual care plans and attend their scheduled visits to health appointments to regulate their conditions. Staff may wish to encourage discussion about fall prevention via medication changes.
Doctors may be able to change a drug if there’s a viable substitute and the current one negatively affects the patient’s quality of life.
Doing Regular Environmental Checks
Staff should check for potential safety hazards regularly. Rugs and carpets should be secured to the floor or non-existent in assisted living spaces.
Walkways must be cleared and paths should be visible and well-marked for residents. Grab bars should be prominently placed near doors, within hallways, and bathrooms next to tubs and toilets.
There should be non-stick flooring outdoors, in cafeterias, and in bathrooms. Doorways and hallways should be wide enough so that senior mobility aids like walkers and wheelchairs can pass without issue.
Outdoor areas should be free of cracks and potholes. Smooth pavement allows walkers and other senior mobility aids to travel more easily.
Why Preventing Falls Matters
Preventing falls is important because a fall can drastically decrease the quality of life for older adults. Senior fall prevention is a vital part of keeping assisted living residents healthy.
At Caruth Haven Court, we will do our utmost to protect your loved ones. Our expert staff is trained to prevent falls from happening without interfering with your loved one’s daily life.
We provide fitness plans, healthy meals, and enriching activities for our residents. Contact us today to schedule a tour of our assisted living and memory care community in Dallas, TX.
