Fall Prevention: The Cornerstone of Effective Home Care
I am an RN at Broad Street who has seen and worked in people’s homes as a home care nurse. I am amazed at the number of life changing injuries resulting from falls that could have been avoided had simple preventative measures been taken.
A visit from a home care and home safety specialist, like those at Broad Street, could have helped point out the potential risks and advised on the appropriate remedy.
Given their experience in providing home care for seniors who are wanting to age in place, they know and understand the biggest safety concerns.
Schedule a Home Care Inspection
Home care and home safety specialists will inspect your home and make suggestions such as clearing off the steps, mounting hand rails, or installing additional lighting. They will pay close attention to high risk areas in the home such as stairwells or the bathroom, particularly the shower, tub and commode.
In conjunction with a home care and home safety specialist, physical or occupational therapists can also benefit those wishing to stay in their homes longer. The physical therapist can help you strengthen muscles that you use on a regular basis while the occupational therapist can show you how to do everyday things in a safer manner with less chance of muscle pulls, strains etc.
Together, they can provide guidelines and routines that you can follow as part of a fall prevention plan.
Create A Fall Prevention Plan
Finally, a home care nurse can provide overall direction and oversight of a comprehensive fall prevention plan. They can assess the impact of diet and fluid intake. For example diabetics often suffer falls related to low or high blood sugar, especially when standing. The home care nurse can also look over your medications and work with you and your doctor to find a medication management plan that can help decrease errors, duplications and omissions. They can also take into account the side effects of some of these medications, particularly blood pressure and pain medication which can cause dizziness or disorientation.
The Sooner the Better
There are many things people can do to reduce or eliminate falls by taking proactive steps and establishing safety guidelines. Broad Street and our Professional Network of specialists can help guide you through this process. By engaging experts sooner, rather than later, individuals can remain independent in their home and enjoy a higher quality of life for longer.
Contact us today to schedule a free in home assessment.
- Annie McDade, RN