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Fall Prevention

  

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Summary: Informative artricle about managing the risk of falling for seniors as well as helpful safety tips to minimize the risk of falling.

MONITOR THE RISK OF FALLS

11/20/2009    Natalie Schneider, RN, CMC

As babies develop you can notice significant changes from one day to another. It is not uncommon for a baby who is crawling one day to get up the following day and start walking. Conversely as seniors age the signs of decline are very subtle often they go unnoticed unless there is a significant event such as a stroke.
If you notice your senior is exhibiting any of these signs or symptoms listed below, it may be time to consider taking action to avoid a serious injury caused by a fall.

• Poor eyesight: When was the last eye exam? Eyesight must be as sharp as possible to maintain health for many reasons avoiding falls is one of them. Can the senior see what is in the path to avoid tripping over an obstacle?
• Furniture walker: Does your senior lean on furniture, walls or countertops while ambulating?
• Arthritis of the feet, knees, and hips. How stable are the joints used for walking?
• Shortness of breath: Does your senior have trouble breathing while walking? Hyperventilation causes light headedness.
• Medications: Sometimes medications can cause "orthostatic hypotension". OH is the sudden drop in blood pressure upon rising either from the bed or a chair which leads to severe light headedness.
• Poor balance: Agility and balance decrease with age. Does your senior stumble while walking?
• Acute Illness: Seniors do not rebound from illness easily. When your senior is acutely ill ensure their safety by keeping someone at the home around the clock until you are certain falling is not a concern.

If you notice any of these problems consult with a physician for direction in care. There are many resources available to help with decreasing your seniors fall risk. Take advantage of them and keep your senior healthy!
Fall Prevention:

• Consider removing or altering tile floors. This can be an expensive project but realize whatever drops on a tile floor breaks. Seniors often do not have the bone structure to tolerate a fall on a tile floor leading to severe fractures.
• Make sure the path to the bathroom is illuminated enough for your senior at night. Do not evaluate this during daytime hours. Conduct your evaluation at night by watching your senior navigate from the bed to the bathroom and back again.
• How safe is your senior while taking a shower? Falling in the shower is the number one cause of falls for seniors.
• Does your senior have to navigate any steps or stairs at the home? Can this be done safely?
• If you don't feel qualified to evaluate the safety of your senior ask the doctor for an evaluation by a professional. This is usually covered by health insurance.

Natalie Schneider, RN CMC, president and founder of American Companion Care- Case Management, is a certified geriatric care manager who works in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Her passion is to keep seniors healthy and safe. Natalie strives to help the seniors she works with to maintain the highest quality of life as possible. To contact Natalie for permission to reproduce this article or to schedule an assessment, you may email her: Natalie@americancompanioncare.com or please call 913-390-6300.

Document: Fall prevention Article 97-03 doc.pdf