5 Common Reasons Why Seniors Fall at Home

Fall Prevention System Information

According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), 25 percent of Americans aged 65 and older experience some type of fall every year. Even a mild fall can be dangerous for many citizens, such as those who have compromised bone density. It’s important for caregivers or family members to recognize the common causes of these falls, so they can implement an effective fall prevention system.

1. Medications

It’s no secret that many medications — such as painkillers, sedatives, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and even some types of cardiovascular drugs — have side effects that include dizziness, drowsiness, and low blood pressure. When a senior is medicated, he or she may be at higher risk of falling or bumping into objects, especially if the person takes multiple medications simultaneously. Medications are often necessary, so discontinuing their use is generally not an effective fall prevention solution. There are useful products that facilitate medication management to help ensure dosing schedules are followed correctly.

2. Difficulty Seeing

It’s common for the elderly to experience compromised vision. Wearing eyeglasses can aid elderly fall prevention, but tumbles and spills can still happen with proper eyewear in place. Maintaining a tidy living space is a key to preventing falls resulting from vision problems. Floor clutter is also one of the most common reasons why the elderly fall at home.

3. Poor Exercise Habits

Physical limitations often make it difficult or impossible for seniors to receive sufficient exercise. This can lead to poor balance, weakness, reduced strength, and decreased flexibility, which contribute to falls. You may be unable to improve the person’s exercise habits, but you can implement a fall prevention system to reduce the likelihood of falls, and ensure that help is available quickly if a fall occurs.

4. Diseases

To put the right elderly fall prevention options in place, it’s essential to be aware of existing health problems — such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and arthritis — that commonly cause falls. These diseases often have symptoms such as difficulty gripping, poor balance, cognitive impairment, numbness, and weakness. Consider these possible issues when addressing fall prevention.

5. Surgery

As you plan a fall prevention system, make sure you know about the person’s previous or upcoming surgeries. Even if a surgery happened many months ago, the healing process may still be in motion — and some elderly patients may never fully recover. Besides weakening the body physically, surgeries often make moving uncomfortable, leading to decreased mobility.

Contact Us Today

Having reliable elderly fall prevention solutions in place can be critical for caring for your client or loved one. Assisted Living Technologies offers chair and bed pad sensors, “press for help” buttons, cordless monitors, central monitoring systems, and other essential safety technologies that instantly notify caregivers when a person needs immediate assistance.

For more information on developing a fall prevention system, please call us at (203) 235-TECH (8324), or leave us a message, and we will respond promptly. Experience more peace of mind by protecting your client or loved one with our reliable elderly fall prevention solutions.