Nursing home falls are, unfortunately, widespread. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, half of all nursing home residents fall each year. Falls contribute to a lower quality of life and may discourage the resident from remaining active.
If you want to protect the nursing home resident in your life, read the following methods for preventing falls. Keeping your loved one active and happy will extend their life and prevent medical complications.
Stay active
Try to encourage the resident to perform simple balancing exercises. Walking every day helps maintain their energy levels and strengthen their legs. To promote their activity, walk with them around the hallways or outside. Look into trainers who specialize in working with older clients to guarantee they maintain an active lifestyle.
Improve lighting
The easiest way to prevent falls is to increase lighting. Put a night light in the resident’s room and bathroom. Make lighting easily accessible at every point where they sit down or walk. You can even put in brighter lightbulbs that mimic daylight if the lighting is dim.
Be careful with medications
Work with your loved one’s doctor to review the medications they take. Certain medications might lead to dizziness, especially when combined. Create a simple medication schedule to minimize risk. For example, if a drug does cause dizziness, make sure they do not have an activity planned where the resident must walk or stand up too much.
Protecting your loved ones gets more challenging as they age. Luckily, you can take simple steps to lower their risk of injury and maintain their confidence.