Fall Prevention: Bright sunshine and warmer temps beckon us all to come outside.
Also, it calls us to enjoy the spring and summer after a long winter of staying inside and trying to keep our minds and bodies active and engaged.
Your aging parent may have that spring bug as well and want to start getting out and walking place or exploring areas she hasn’t been to all winter. A good fall prevention plan is important at this time.
With that excitement of getting out and about, comes a bit of caution as falls can easily happen, especially in areas that aren’t as familiar as our own home. If your parent has balance issues, you may find yourself especially concerned about this, increasingly so if she has a history of falling. A bad fall cannot only be painful but can be the catalyst to other lifelong conditions that will affect her quality of life. Fall prevention at this time is crucial.
So, before your parent heads out the door to go stroll around the neighborhood, here are some steps you can take to ensure her travels are safe.
-Find the right footwear. It’s a good idea each spring to examine your parent’s footwear. Wear and tear could have broken down the soles of her shoes, smoothing out the non-slip grooves and ridges along the bottom. She might also have a frayed shoelace that could provide a tripping hazard or her sole may becoming loose, also looking to trip her up. If you’re not around as your parent heads out the door, have her senior care provider give her shoes a good examination. If she needs new shoes, make that the first trip she makes.
-Have a companion. It might be wise for your parent to have someone join her on her walks outside. It not only provides an occasional person to hold onto for stepping up on curbs or crossing unpaved areas, it can also provide companionship making the walk much more enjoyable. A senior care provider can be asked to take your parent out for a walk or even drive her to a local place where she can walk if she doesn’t have a safe area near her.
-Examine the route. If your parent’s favorite place to walk is now being renovated and the walkways are under construction, she should look for a new place to walk until her favorite place is fully restored and can provide a safe place to walk. If outside stairways have loose railings or broken corners from the steps, she should avoid those areas altogether.
-Bring an assistive device. If balance issues are a concern, it might be time for your parent to look at using a cane or walker to help her along as she gets outside and enjoys the fresh air. She might balk at first but most likely, once she starts using one and sees how much easier and safer it makes her walk, she’ll appreciate having it along.
Walking outside has multiple social, physical, and mental health benefits. Taking the needed fall prevention, proactive steps so that your elderly parent doesn’t need to be concerned about falling will ensure that she can continue to enjoy her walks outside for a long time.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Daly City, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855
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