Elder injury is quite common. Statistics reveal that more than 90 percent of these injuries are a result of falls. In addition to this, elders are prone to falling and at the same time, they are more susceptible to injury. It is precisely the reason as to why the focus is always more on preventing the causes of falls along with avoiding the common mistakes that are usually overlooked. The elder injuries resulting from falls are sometimes quite fatal and even death in severe cases. Some of the most common fall-related injuries in elders are broken bones, head trauma, fractured hip, and others. Therefore, the central area of focus remains on reducing the falls impacts in elders.
Different surveys have also found out that falls in elders happen to be one of the most common causes of hip pain. It is because of the fact that the hip is more prone to getting hurt during a fall. Thus, it becomes immensely important to eliminate the causes or different factors that contribute to falls in the elderly. In addition to this, it is also very important to understand why elders are at a greater risk of falling and injuring themselves. Having a clear idea about the reasons can help the caregivers in taking proper preventive or precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the elders or follow a few tips to reduce falls. To help the caregivers in this regard, here are a few common mistakes to avoid to prevent elder injury because of falls.
Not Keeping an Eye on Physical Fitness
Older adults tend to become less active which intensifies the physical effects of aging. Declining physical fitness as a result of reduced physical activities leads to a decrease in the mass of bones, reduced mass of muscle & strength, poor balance, poor coordination, and decreased flexibility. This, in turn, readily increases the chances of falling and getting injured. Not keeping an eye on physical fitness is a very common mistake that needs to be avoided.
Avoiding Regular Vision Check-ups
It is true that vision is impaired with age. But a huge volume of older adults tends to avoid regular vision check-ups. Impaired vision and other age-related eye diseases make it difficult to appropriately detect fall hazards like puddles, steps, thresholds, etc. It is also possible that a senior adult in top physical condition but with improper vision fails to see properly and appropriately perceive changes in the ground level or obstacles that can lead to a nasty fall. Thus, avoiding regular vision check-ups is another very common mistake that needs to be avoided.
Not Paying Attention to Chronic Diseases
It is to be kept in mind that different health conditions like arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc. affect physical strength, balance, the integrity of joints, and cognitive function contribute to falls in elders. There are a number of elders who do not pay any attention to these diseases which leads to tripping, slipping, and ultimately resulting in a fall. This is a very common mistake to avoid which can help prevent falls in elders and eliminate injuries.
Neglecting Side Effects of Medications
It is very common that the need for medicines increases with age. Older adults tend to live on a number of medicines. Now, most of the medicines have some or other side effects. A wide variety of medications readily increases the chances of falling in seniors. The side effects of certain medicines like dizziness, low blood pressure, and drowsiness can readily increase the chances of falling. Therefore, it is always important to keep in mind that the side effects of medicines should never be neglected.
Overlooking Environmental and Behavioural Hazards
Several environmental hazards like poor lighting, loose carpets, clutter, areas of disrepair, lack of safety equipment like grab bars, ramps, lifts, and slick floors can contribute to falling in seniors. In addition to this, different behavioural hazards like carrying a heavy load while climbing stairs, preferring to wear slippery footwear, and other similar can result in increased chances of falling in seniors. Therefore, these environmental and behavioural hazards should never ever be overlooked at any cost.
Elder Care at Athulya Homecare
Athulya Homecare takes pride in being one of the leading providers of home care services in Chennai catering to the individualized requirements of every senior. At Athulya, each of the client can be assured of getting the best quality care in almost every respect, thereby making it one of the most preferred choices in Chennai. Each of the staff including the management are adequately trained and vastly experienced in providing top-notch care to the elders. All of them are aware of the fact that elders are more prone to falls which happen to be the major cause of elder injury. It is precisely the reason why Athulya focuses on the prevention of falls in the best possible manner by closely monitoring each of the individuals.
In addition to this, frequent sessions on elder injury arising out of falls are conducted to make the individuals aware and take preventive steps. Fall prevention day or fall prevention awareness day is celebrated with great zeal on the 23rd of September every year at Athulya. Moreover, at Athulya, the floors are specially built to make them anti-slip which plays a significant role in reducing the tendency of falling. The housekeepers at Athulya Homecare always make sure to keep the corridors, bathroom, and other areas as dry as possible in order to prevent slipping. A close eye is kept throughout the premises to prevent any kind of elder injuries. Most importantly, elder care at Athulya includes a special diet for strong bones along with vitamin D supplements to ensure stronger bones for the purpose of reducing the falls impacts in elders.
FAQs
- What is an elder injury?
Elder injury, as can be understood from the name, refers to the injury caused to the elders regardless of the reason behind the same.
- What is the major cause of elder injury?
The most common cause of elder injury is falling. It has been found out that falls account for about ninety percent of injuries in elders.
- What is the impact of an injury on elders?
Injuries in elders arising out of falls can prove to be extremely dangerous in many cases. The impact of the injury depends on the severity of the fall. Highly severe falls can cause paralysis, head trauma, and even death in extreme cases.
- How to prevent elder injury?
One of the most vital steps towards the prevention of adult injury is eliminating the causes of falls. Reduction in falls would certainly prevent elder injury to a great extent. For example, an elderly person who is not fit to walk should make use of a wheelchair to prevent falling.
