Suffering a fall can be a traumatising experience that leaves you feeling vulnerable and anxious. While anybody can suffer a fall, it is notably more common among elderlies, more so if they are already suffering from limited mobility as a result of a health condition.
Falls may result in injuries that cause a temporary loss of mobility independence. While fall-related injuries may range from mild to severe, it does not have to affect their lives permanently. It all boils down to managing their recovery process well.
In this post, we have compiled some guidance and advice on helping your elderly loved ones recover from a fall at home.
What should you do if they fall at home?
It is vital that you and your elderly loved one remain calm should they experience a fall at home. If they have not hurt themselves, make sure to get them up slowly, supporting them while they hold on to a sturdy object with both hands.
However, if they are experiencing pain that might cause them to be immobile, it is vital not to move them. Call for medical assistance!
Ways to prevent a fall
While it is impossible to totally prevent a fall from happening, there are preventative measures you can take to reduce the risk of falling at home. That being said, the fact is that with age comes the deterioration of cognitive function, medical conditions, and health. All these factors increase the risk of falls occurring among elderlies. Hence, helping them recover is as important as preventing a fall from happening.
Here are some straightforward ways to prevent falls:
- Ensure every corner of your home are well-lit
- Install non-slip mats in bathrooms
- Tidy your home regularly
- Install handrails or handles where possible
- Get them personal mobility aids (PMAs), such as walking canes or wheelchairs, if necessary
- Ensure spills up cleaned right away
- Store essential items in easy-to-reach areas to prevent over-stretching
PMAs, especially, should not be an embarrassing tool for the elderly. They exist to boost living conditions, allowing them to maintain independent mobility in their everyday lives. Here are some signs you can take note of that shows their need for PMAs.
In fact, Falcon Mobility has got an extensive range of PMAs and lifestyle accessories that aids in preventing and recovering from a fall.
Recovering from a fall
After suffering a fall, while physical injuries are inevitable, so often are emotional injuries overlooked. For physical injuries, they can recover from them with adequate medical and physical therapy, such as physio. However, it is the emotional recovery that is a little harder.
Falling, whether they suffer from injuries or not, can be a traumatic experience, leaving your elderly loved ones feeling anxious, vulnerable, and afraid. Being with them and guiding them through their recovery process is the best way to get them back on their feet. However, for severe trauma, you can always benefit from bringing them to see a mental health professional.
In most cases, suffering from a fall means having to change their living condition.
Conclusion
Falls are indeed scary for elderlies. However, they are not the end of the world. With adequate precautions taken, you can prevent them from happening easily. If your elderly has mobility issues as a result of a prior health or medical condition, then it is best to get them the appropriate aid to prevent unnecessary falls from happening.
At Falcon Mobility, we are the top distributor of electric wheelchairs and electric scooters for elderlies. On top of them, we also provide a wide range of lifestyle products and accessories that boosts safety at home. Find out more about our products at https://www.falconmobility.com.sg/ today!