Visiting Angels of West Springfield is proud to offer in home consultations and assessments for “Safe and Steady Fall Prevention”.

Visiting Angels of West Springfield is proud to offer in home consultations and assessments for “Safe and Steady Fall Prevention”. As a major risk for seniors and older adults, taking a bad fall or tumble could result in serious pain, injury, permanent damage, or even result in death. As we get older, our bodies start to wear down and the risk of falling at any given time rises substantially as we age.

So what are some of the long term impacts from falling? One major statistic is that ONLY 25% of older adults and seniors will fully recover from a hip fracture and 20% will die within a year of the fall! Here are just a few of many:

• Long recovery time
• Long-term care facility placement
• A hip fracture means a 40% chance of NEVER returning home to your loved ones
• Massive financial burdens of an average of over $30,000.00 for hospitalization, rehabilitation, home healthcare & non medical homecare.

Believe it or not, most falls occur within your home! Risk factors can be internal such as human or physical factors like weak joints, but other factors include environmental factors such as placement of furniture or poor lighting in stairways.

Although the risk is scary, we are happy to provide the following tips on how to make your home a safer environment for yourself or loved ones. Follow these guidelines to help create a safer living environment:

• Keep pathways clear
• Add grab bars in showers or tubs
• Use non-skid bath mats and floor mats
• Always use the handrails when going up or down stairs
• Add reflective tape to each stair
• Add better lighting throughout your home
• Keep a charged flashlight next to your bed for midnight emergencies
• Hire a Caregiver to assist with in-home care for mobility, bathing, meals and housekeeping

These are just a few tips to help prevent falls inside the safety of your own home. To learn more about the services provided by Visiting Angels Homecare of West Springfield, or to learn more about fall prevention, contact Agency Director, Joe Arduino, at (413)773-6900 or by email at jarduino@visitingangels.com. Care services are provided in Chicopee, Holyoke, Wilbraham, Springfield, West Springfield, Longmeadow, Agawam, Southwick and Westfield. Call today to have your home evaluated for safety measures and fall prevention!