Senior citizens are at a slightly higher risk of suffering a fall or another accident in the household than younger individuals. The risk that these people stand to suffer from if they do experience a fall is much higher than younger, healthy people will experience though.
Managing this risk is a big part of what a senior caregiver does. They are professionally trained not only to help with the day to day tasks that each person has in front of them, but also to make sure that they can do this safely. If a younger, healthy man falls, he might have some bumps and bruises to show for it, but an elderly man that falls could be facing a life changing injury. Unfortunately, things like this happen far more often than they should. That doesn’t mean that nothing can be done to prevent it, though.
Getting a handle on this risk is important. Ensuring that your elderly loved ones are not placed in a risky situation goes a long way toward securing good health into the future. Managing health factors might seem like something that is way beyond the reach of someone without any medical training, but in fact, there are a lot of little things that you and I can do to prevent health emergencies from occurring.
For example, one of the most common issues that seniors face on a daily basis is injury from some sort of household accident. In the home, these crises can often be reduced in frequency and severity just by making a few small changes around the house. Reducing the need to use stairs is one thing that can be done. If your loved one lives in a two story home, moving their bedroom to the bottom floor so that stairs are not necessary can be one place to start. Other things, like making sure walkways are clear of any trip hazards, rugs are secured to the floor, and that bathrooms have adequate hand rails and handles (installed properly and securely) can all be easy ways to reduce the risk of a fall.
In senior care homes, managing risk can be a little bit trickier. This might seem like it doesn’t make sense at first, especially because care homes are staffed by trained professionals. However, the number of elderly people residing here is usually much higher than the number of caregivers present. There is typically a lot going on in these facilities, and even though caregivers tend to have a lot of training, the sheer numbers indicate that there is much that needs to be done to ensure continued safety.
This is one of the many reasons why it is important to select a strong caregiving option for your family. Most assisted living facilities do a very good job of preparing their caregivers to handle any sort of accident risk that might be present, but not all. Having a team of caregivers working with your family is important, and choosing the right service is an easy way to help make sure that they are as safe as possible.
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