In-Home Care Providers Can Help Prevent Falls in Springfield, MO and Nearby Areas
The main reason many seniors lose their independence is because of falls. Falls can do more than just cause a physical injury. They can also impact the senior both emotionally and socially. Falling may significantly impact the person’s quality of life and cause major changes in their life going forward.
Visiting Angels' In-Home Care Providers Are Here to Prevent Unnecessary Falls in Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, and Surrounding Areas
The fear of falling often means seniors are more afraid to leave home, which leads to them declining invitations to go out with friends or to be at important family functions. Because of this, they can start to have feelings of loneliness or anxiety, begin to experience social isolation or begin to suffer from sadness and depression. But it doesn't have to be this way when you have hands-on assistance from an in-home care provider.
How Falls Can Be Life-Altering
Each year, one out of every three seniors will suffer a fall, with over 800,000 people hospitalized per year because of serious falls. One out of five will sustain a serious injury. This could include a broken hip, fracture, concussion, or other serious injuries that dramatically alter their life. Studies have shown that those who fall once are more likely to fall again in the future.
Recovery is slower for seniors, with many needing to spend up to a year in a long-term care facility to fully recover from their fall. Many people who fall will not end up going back home again because the risk of a fall is too great or because they cannot recover from their fall completely.
Falls Happen Because of Risk Factors
Falls don’t just happen out of nowhere. There are usually one or more risk factors that will cause the fall to occur. Risk factors are anything that increases a person’s chance of falling and can be linked to the senior’s physical condition, home environment, or even a medical problem.
Some of the potential risk factors for seniors will include:
- poor eyesight
- dehydration
- being on multiple medications
- arthritis
- an inability to safely get out of the bathtub in their home
Our in-home care providers can help with identifying and addressing risk factors promptly and can help many seniors avoid falling. Risks inside the home, for instance, can be addressed to help the seniors get around their homes easier. If there is a possibility they could fall getting out of the bathtub, adding grab bars to the bathtub can give them a way to support themselves when they get out, helping them get out safely so they won’t risk a fall whenever they take a shower.
Education Is Key
Falls can be devastating to seniors, but fall and injury prevention is often a considerable challenge. At Visiting Angels of Springfield, we are committed to investing in education for older adults, their families, and their senior care providers. Our in-home care providers in Springfield work hard to inform your loved ones of ways to reduce the risk of falls to help protect seniors and make sure they’re as safe as possible in their homes.
As your in-home care provider for senior care in Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, and the surrounding area, we want to make it safer for clients to remain at home and ensure the risk of falls is reduced to help the quality of life for our clients.
Contact Us to Learn More
Contact our senior care agency at 417-863-8006 or fill out our intake form by clicking here to learn more about how our in-home care providers can help keep your aging loved one safe. We are happy to schedule a free, in-home assessment to discuss your family's needs, schedule, and budget.
We look forward to speaking with you!
Serving Springfield, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Branson, Hollister, MO and the Surrounding Areas
Visiting Angels SPRINGFIELD, MO
1259 E Republic RdSpringfield, MO 65804
Phone: 417-863-8006
Fax: 417-863-1860