Preventing Senior Falls and Related Injuries

Senior Safety  |  October 12, 2021

What Every Senior in Victoria, BC Needs to Know About Fall and Injury Prevention

Preventing Senior Falls | According to estimates, one in every three older adults over 65 sustains a fall each year. While falling may not be particularly hazardous for younger individuals, the effects of falls often entail disastrous consequences for seniors. Fractures and internal injuries caused by falls are the main cause of long-term hospital admissions in older Canadians, many of which end in fatal outcomes.

Why Are Older Adults More Affected by Falls?

The risk of suffering a serious injury in a fall-related accident significantly increases with age. First of all, elderly proneness to falls can be attributed to biological changes in the aging body such as muscle weakness, mobility issues, vision loss, chronic conditions, and physical impairments. Then there are prescribed medications whose side effects are known to affect balance and gait.

Behavior also plays a strong role when it comes to falls. Many seniors are so used to keeping up with their routine at home that they forget themselves and attempt to perform tasks that were once easy but are now too strenuous or unnecessarily risky. Climbing a ladder to dust ceilings or hanging draperies, pruning trees, or shoveling snow are just a few examples of how falls happen.

Additional factors that put seniors at a higher risk of falling can be associated with poor lifestyle habits like inadequate diet, a lack of physical activity, and alcohol abuse. Last but not least, environmental factors such as dim lights, uneven flooring, and a lack of handrails in the home are also major fall risks.

Preventing Senior Falls

The best strategy for reducing falls is to raise awareness among seniors while introducing certain fall-proofing modifications to boost safety in the home. Family caregivers and their elderly loved ones need to learn more about fall risks and how to eliminate them. As a primary caregiver, you can help by encouraging your loved one to:

• Stay physically active and adopt a light exercise regimen that focuses on mobility, balance, and coordination
• Eat well-balanced meals and stay hydrated throughout the day
• Visit their physician to review medications and identify those that may cause dizziness or impair senses
• Avoid alcohol
• Schedule regular checkups and eye exams
• Use canes or walkers both inside and outside their home

In addition to this, make sure to thoroughly inspect your mom or dad’s home and tackle loose carpets, rugs, clutter, or anything else your loved one may trip over. Also consider adding certain safety features such as grab bars, railings, or additional lighting fixtures, at least in the bathroom.

At Comfort Keepers® Victoria we feel that home is the best place to be.

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with 24-hour care, post-surgery care, senior living transition services, and much more! 

Comfort Keepers® Victoria Can Help with Preventing Senior Falls

Comfort Keepers®’s trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Our philosophy is to elevate the human spirit and our caregivers will be there every step of the way to ensure your loved one has a better quality of life. Empathetic care is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. Learn more about our unique service which offers personal care, companionship care, palliative care, and end-of-life care by contacting the Comfort Keepers Victoria office.

Comfort Keepers® Victoria is proud to provide home care throughout Victoria that keeps seniors safe in their homes. We provide home care for the seniors of Victoria and the surrounding areas of Colwood, Saanich, Sidney, James Bay, and Oak Bay. 

Please call (778) 265-5999 and learn how your loved ones can receive compassionate, professional in-home care.

Comfort Keepers® Victoria has been accredited with Exemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada. Accreditation is an intensive process in which an organization’s processes, policies, and procedures are examined by industry experts against a set of quality standards. To achieve accredited status, Comfort Keepers offices met or exceeded the rigorous standards for Home Care companies, as defined by Accreditation Canada.

Share This Post: