Elderly Fall Prevention Strategies for Safer Living in Longview, TX
Nestled among cottages and other new builds, Parkview in Hollybrook in Longview, Texas, is the perfect community to enjoy retirement. However, there is always the reality of such locations to consider, and ensuring the safety and security of our community is a key element of what we offer to those staying with us. One of the key factors involved in this is leveraging elderly fall prevention strategies to eliminate what the CDC quotes as the most injurious experience in the United States for seniors.
Below, we highlight some of the fall prevention devices and tactics we use to help residents remain safe without compromising their independence or confidence. Discover practical upgrades you can make to your home that we take to heart by incorporating them into our communities, then learn about how seniors use medical alert systems to summon help quickly in case of a fall.
Fall Safety for Seniors with Elderly Fall Prevention Devices
One of the first senior wellness strategies we took in our own spaces was to focus on easy wins. After all, the fewer injuries, the better. It's not how much a device costs, after all, but how effective it is in preventing harm.
As such, some of the simple additions we added to our location include:
- Secure grab bars
- Bright lighting for ambient illumination
- Clear floor paths
- Regular checks and replacements
- Low-profile ramps
Each of these provides a different form of assistance, either by giving a loved one a tool with which to navigate their space or by removing an impediment.
You can do similar in your own home, or in the Independent Living apartment of a loved one, by, for example:
- Routing cords out of sight to prevent trips
- Removing loose throw rugs or securing them with Velcro
- Moving pet bowls to be against the wall
- Clearing debris and clutter from hallways or thoroughfares
- Ensuring potential wet floors have textured surfaces
All these remove the potential of catching something on a leg or foot, or they reduce the chance of one's feet coming out from underneath them. Use these as inspiration to help your loved ones in reducing senior fall risks.
Offering Your Loved One Secure Mobility Aids
If your loved one already uses a mobility aid, it is essential to verify that it is suitable for its regular use. First of all, make sure that the device is intended for their use. Sometimes, people take hand-me-down canes, not knowing that they should all be correctly adjusted for every individual.
Correct the handle height on a cane or, if you cannot, seek a new one or get it altered. Then, check the grip and the foot on them. They should not slip when used on even a slightly wet floor, and your loved one should know how to use them effectively, too.
These checks are also helpful for walkers or rollators, whether they have wheels or not. The goal of each of these tools is to provide mobility support and ensure that their gait aligns with their build, helping them walk as naturally as possible. Similar to how balance training can do the same without a device.
Also, ensure that the space where the device will be used is free from tight spaces. You don't want your loved one to give up using it due to frustration.
If the device has brakes, also check them to avoid a situation where they are required but do not function.
Specific Room Checks
Almost any room in a home can potentially include hazards that could cause a slip or a fall. It is essential to check each one and give your loved one a more secure environment.
Bathroom Safety Equipment
In the slick, humid environment of a used bathroom, you need to choose devices designed for such areas. It is also imperative that you ensure they are fit for purpose and not simply "good enough".
For example, it is all too common that people use "sucker cup" grab bars to attempt to stabilize someone's movements. However, should a person fall, they are very likely to pull it from the wall with their own weight. As such, you need to secure the installation into a wall, preferably into the studs, to ensure it remains stable in the long term.
Try to find seating in the shower as well, to avoid someone needing to stand for too long. Use a textured floor or bath mat to help your loved one retain their footing.
A bath seat should also have both a back and handholds to offer extra support, and ensure that it is at an appropriate level so that someone does not need to hop up or down to use it.
Living Spaces
Use layered lighting in these areas to create clear sightlines. For example, use:
- Overhead lights
- Task-specific spotlights
- Pathway lights
- Night lights for the evening
Together, all of these offer clear visibility, regardless of the time of day or task. You can also use motion sensors to avoid the need for someone to move to another area of the room to activate them.
Ensure that all spaces like these are clear, and use very-low-include ramps, if any, to reduce the possibility of tripping due to different floor heights. To help further, use simple floor patterns instead of high-contrast strips, which can distort depth and distance.
Wearable Alerts
A Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) can be activated both automatically and manually. These systems can detect a fall and call for a timely alert if not quickly deactivated, and they ensure that seniors remain safe in the long term.
Ensure Your Loved One's Safety
To create a safe space, start with minor, high-impact upgrades and then progress to more complex options for elderly fall prevention. Equip your loved one with precisely what they need to stay safe and secure. Here at Parkview on Hollybrook, we do the same to support our Independent Living amenities and ensure our community experiences peace of mind.
If you'd like to know more, you can always get in touch and book a tour. Our team would be happy to discuss with you what we can do for you or a loved one.