It’s natural for your bones to grow weak as you grow old. Even if you’re taking all the necessary measures to keep yourself in the perfect shape, you can never feel as strong and fit as you were in your 20s or 30s.
As a result, you need to take extra care of yourself, and this means preventing falls. Falls put seniors at great risk of injuries, and are the leading cause of bone problems and injuries among senior citizens. Avoid such injuries by implementing these easy fall prevention measures.
Increase Your Daily Movements
It’s imperative to do all that it takes to keep yourself healthy when you grow old. Physical activity and exercise help greatly in preventing falls. Consult your doctor about what exercises are good for you, and with their approval, walk as much as you can and do all gentle exercises that involve your whole body movements. These exercises will prevent the risk of fall as they enhance your balance, flexibility, and endurance. However, if you’re not in the shape to perform all activities by yourself, seek the help of a physiotherapist or contact any good home health care service that can create personalized exercises to improve your condition.
Always Wear Comfortable Footwear
Everyone loves wearing stylish shoes; high heels, oxfords, fancy slippers and other glittery footwear will definitely enhance your outlook, but they also put you at a greater risk of falls. To save yourself from any mishap, replace all uncomfortable shoes and slippers that can make your stumble. It’s recommended that you put on joggers and shoes that have strong grips. Fully-fitted shoes can also bring comfort to your aching joints and muscles.
Keep Your Home Arranged And Clean
If you’ve crossed the age of 50, or you have seniors living in your home, make sure you keep your kitchen, living room, dining room, bedrooms, and all the places arranged and free from hazards. Some important tips you can take are:
- Be quick to clean any liquid or food spilled on the floor. This is the strongest cause of fall injuries.
- If your place is getting a bit stuffy, try to make it spacious by placing your tables, shelves, book racks, or plants in places where seniors don’t go often.
- Replace fancy, loose carpets or rugs with the ones that have a rubber back to stick and grip on the floor.
- Put the necessary dishes and crockery in cabinets that are easy to reach for seniors.
- Always keep a check that your bedrooms and living rooms don’t have boxes, toys, papers, phone chargers, and similar stuff lying on the floor.
- Place heavy hand-held bars in the bathrooms. Using strong grip carpets in bathrooms and bath seats in the shower compartment are also effective ways to prevent falls.
Keep In Touch With Your Doctor
If you’re looking to improve your balance and strength in order to prevent falls, start by taking advice from your doctor. Your doctor might ask you questions like:
The medicines you’re using:
Bring all your medicines to your doctor. The doctor will see whatever you’re taking to know if these medicines come with any drawbacks that might increase the likelihood of falls. Doctors usually replace your medicines or take some out of your routine. For instance, if you have medicine on your list that affects your mental activity, or makes you feel exhausted, the doctor will tell you to stop taking these for a while.
If you have suffered from a fall injury before:
Your doctor can suggest you better fall prevention strategies and customized exercises that suit you best if they know what made you fall. Provide your doctor will all the details of any instance where you fell, how it happened, and what injuries you suffered.
Is your condition making you more vulnerable to falls:
When discussing this issue with your doctor, tell them everything about yourself. There are certain issues like weak eye-sight, weak legs, joint ache, or ear pain that can cause a person to fall. The doctor will take into consideration how strong your muscles and bones are and accordingly suggest the right exercises, activities, medication, and things you should wear to save you from falling.
You can follow all the above-mentioned strategies to prevent fall injuries and in turn enhancing your endurance. However, if your condition does not allow you to take care of yourself, do not hesitate in contacting home care services. Fort Worth home care will provide you the right care and attention that you need. The nursing staff and doctors in the facility are well-trained to deal with all the problems seniors come across.