Fall prevention in your home: easy changes that make a big Difference
A fall in the home can change a person’s life in an instant. Seniors, people with disabilities and others who have had surgery can suffer debilitating pain, need emergency medical treatment and lose their independence because of a single fall. However, preventing falls in the home doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to totally remodel the house. Instead, what you really want to focus on is creating a safe, comfortable and easy way to get around the most used parts of the home.
Identify why falls happen
Most falls aren’t just bad luck. The majority of falls are caused by several factors. Unstable footing caused by poor lighting, cluttered floors, loose rugs, slippery bathroom floors, dizziness caused by prescription drugs and weak muscles are the top causes. Once you know how common types of falls happen, you’ll begin to develop a plan. Just go through your home thinking like a person with pain, a walker or impaired vision. Anything that might cause a person to trip, slip or get caught up in something should be fixed immediately.
Make it easier and safer to move around the home
Start by clearing everything out of the major paths in your home. Clear hallways, doorways and paths to bathrooms of anything obstructing movement. Be sure that there is plenty of space around furniture to accommodate mobility when using a walker or wheelchair. Many families choose to buy a hospital bed for home use to eliminate the need to climb stairs to access different levels of the home. Make sure you take off all cords, shoes and bags from the floor at all times.
Fix broken floors rugs and remove clutter
Loose and damaged flooring creates large hazards. Fix broken tiles, uneven thresholds and loose boards. Use non slip mats under rugs with anti skid backing or throw them away. Plush thick rugs can trap a walker or cane. Keep all household items at waist level (or higher) to keep people from bending or climbing.
Create a fall free bathroom
Bathrooms tend to be a hazard area for many homeowners. Install handrails beside toilets and inside tubs showers. Put non slip mats in and around tub showers to prevent slipping on wet surfaces. Think about putting a raised toilet seat and or shower bench into the bathroom to make transfers easier. Never let anyone who feels unstable bathe alone. Place soap, towels and shampoo close enough that they don’t have to stretch or twist.
Prepare a safe bedroom
Your bedroom should be a place where you feel calm and safe not somewhere dangerous. Bed height plays a huge part here. The bed should not be too low so that getting out is hard but not too high that your feet hang over the side of the bed. Many families will look into renting hospital beds in Toronto which include extra support or side rails for added safety when transferring in or out of bed. Put a sturdy bedside table next to the bed with glasses, water cup and medications. Try to put no small or loose rugs next to the bed.
Improve lighting and nighttime safety
Better lighting helps decrease many falls. Light every room, hallway, stairway and clean light fixtures frequently. Add night lights to bedrooms, hallways and bathrooms so that if someone gets up in the middle of the night they can see their path. A light, lamp or switch located near the bed makes it possible for the person to switch it on without having to navigate in the dark. Using motion sensor lights in front of bathroom doors or along main traffic routes can also greatly help.
Choose proper footwear mobility devices
Old weak slippers can hide danger. Recommend slip resistant slippers with good backs and grips. Avoid wearing socks on slick floors. For individuals needing additional support, using a walker or cane can make a dramatic difference in being able to move around safely. If someone continues to have a difficult risk when getting out of bed, some families will look into hospital bed for rent that has adjustable positions and side rails for better support and control while moving.
Gradually build strength balance
The best way to decrease your risk for falling is to build your muscle strength. Take part in exercises that your doctor physical therapist recommends that help build your strength balance such as walking around the home, simply lifting your legs while seated, or using resistance bands. Even short periods of time each day (ie., 2 5 minutes) can be helpful, encouraging slower more deliberate movements as opposed to fast dash movements. If the person starts feeling dizzy faint after standing up from bed tell them to quickly sit down and not try “to tough it out”.
When additional equipment will help
Additionally, small modifications won’t work when an individual becomes frail and has more frequent falls or finds themselves struggling more frequently to safely enter exit bed. At this point, increasing support through various means may be required. Under such circumstances, families usually search for rental options for hospital bed for sale equipment featuring features like grab bars, transfer poles and safe lifting strategies to protect against injury to both the individual and caregiver as well as to make daily home based caregiving less complicated.
Work together as a team and routinely review it
It is important that the whole family care team is involved in developing a comprehensive fall prevention plan in order to effectively implement it. Openly share fears, near misses and new challenges encountered by everyone. Ask your doctors concerning any proposed medication changes about their opinion on how the medication may influence balance dizziness. You may decide whether to only rent hospital bed equipment temporarily after surgery inpatient stay and then reassess later depending on specific circumstances. An aging in place evaluation assesses home interiors for safety; an aging in place evaluation.
Closing thoughts on fall prevention at home
Fall prevention at home does not equate losing freedom and independence in any manner whatsoever. It is indeed an intelligent strategy consisting of minor adjustments made for protection of a loved one. Better lighting, fewer slippery surface flooring and assistive devices combined with teamwork can contribute to significantly decreasing falls within home environments. From preventive educational measures taken in school systems to evaluating rental options for hospital bed products facilitating safe transition recovery for some families.