subject: Fall prevention in the elderly and palliative care [print this page] Fall prevention in the elderly and palliative care
Most of our modern homes are not created or designed with the consideration or planning of care giving, so you may need to consider a few things in your home before taking on the responsibility looking after or caring for someone.
According to Angela Marrow, Palliative Care, one in three adults over the age of 65 fall each year. Of those who fall, 20% to 30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that make it hard for them to get around or live independently and increase their chances of early death.
With similar thinking lines of having a young child in the home, some areas in the home to consider or pay special attention to would be the bedroom, bathroom, stair ways, kitchen and living areas. Even think as far as to your outdoor environment.
In the bedroom, beware of mats or rugs that could be tripped over. Ensure any bedroom and living room furniture has no sharp edging or corners. If so, by placing edge and corner protection guards on wall corners, doorframes, and the side of cupboards, step-edges on staircases or anywhere a sharp edge appears will reduce the risk and consequences of falls and bruising. Edge and corner protection need not only be used indoors, but is valuable for safety and protection outdoors too. Also, be mindful of how you have arranged your furniture, maybe you should re-arrange keeping sharp furniture out of harms way, allowing for a clear pathway.
A fall cannot always be avoided, be we can make sure that our home and our environment is as safe as possible. Having as many safety measures and precautions in place will make caring for someone much easier and also gives you some peace of mind that you have done all you can to prevent as much going wrong as possible.
