How Can You Help Your Senior Avoid a Fall from Her Bed?
Your senior is particularly vulnerable when she’s getting into or out of her bed. That can mean that her fall risk is much greater. There are some steps that you and your elderly family member can take that can help her to be safer in her bed. It’s important to start from the beginning and make sure you’re not missing anything that could help avoid an injury. Home care assistance can play a vital role in improving your senior’s safety at home.
Assess Her Fall Risk in Her Bedroom
How likely is your senior to fall from her bed or to fall in her bedroom at all? There’s a lot to consider in terms of risk factors, ranging from health issues to the environment in your senior’s bedroom. Many of those risk factors can overlap with her overall fall risk, too. So it’s vital to consider all of the variables that might make a fall more likely for her. That might be easier to do with some help.
Talk with Your Senior’s Doctor about Her Fall Risk
The first step if you’re starting from scratch with assessing your senior’s fall risk is to talk with her doctor. Her doctor can help your senior and you to understand more about what she needs in order to avoid a fall from her bed. There might also be health-related factors that you both need to consider.
Find Practical Solutions that Address Risk Factors
When you’ve got a full picture of your senior’s fall risk, you can take action. Simple things, like making sure that her bed is the right height and that she’s got easy access to lighting, can all help quite a bit. Think about things like midnight bathroom trips, and how you can make those safer. Things like adding bed rails may be a good idea, depending on your senior’s fall risks.
Consider Home Care Assistance
Something else to add to your senior’s list of practical solutions might be elderly care providers. Home care assistance can be invaluable in providing hands-on help for your elderly family member right when she needs it the most. If she’s reluctant to accept help, explore the different ways that caregivers can make life easier and safer for your senior. Offering a trial run can also be a really good idea.
Safety at home is always a huge concern for aging adults, and that’s never more obvious than when you’re looking at fall risk. Putting real solutions in place helps your elderly family member to feel more confident in her home.