Fall Prevention & Home Safety Tool Kit

Falls are not inherently dangerous, but complications from a fall can severely impact the health and wellbeing of any senior. Even minor falls can easily become one of the most life-threatening scenarios for aging loved ones if not treated properly.

Pre-existing medical conditions, frailty, and other common issues associated with advanced age seriously limit the patient’s overall ability to recover, making any injury more dangerous by default. While not all falls are fatal, the risks associated with the complications from a fall can be enough to put any older patient down for the count.

The biggest long-term danger associated with fall-related injuries is the loss of dexterity, mobility, and independence. Even minor trauma, like a bruise, sprain, or fracture can cause hospitalization in older patients, so the utmost caution should be taken.

A wide range of conditions affecting seniors can make them more prone to falls.

For example, movement and balance issues make any terrain more difficult and create a greater risk of falling no matter the age. Additionally, sensory factors such as problems with eyesight, hearing, or touch can harm a senior’s ability to properly perceive and interact with the environment around them.

This decrease in spatial awareness can easily lead to opportunities for falls to occur.

The biggest concern for any fall is usually an environmental hazard like a spill, ledge, or any other item that would cause the fall.

If the fall does not occur in a relatively open area, the introduction of hazardous objects like sharp corners or hard surfaces can add an even greater risk to the landing.

There are several ways to keep your loved ones safe from the risk of falls both in and outside of the home. While not every measure needs to be taken, it is important to carefully consider your health and surroundings to make the best choices for you or your loved one.

Here are some of the top methods for fall prevention:

Hospitals are required by Medicare to provide discharge planning for inpatients when necessary. The loved ones of patients can take an active role in discharge planning by choosing the best home care solutions:

1. Rehab and therapy

   These are great methods for building strength following an injury or illness and can help you regain and even surpass your former strength and vigor.

2. In-home care

   This is a great option for those who may not be as independent in the home as they used to be, but still want to remain at home. In-home care plans vary in complexity and can include simple exercises or live-in assistance. Having an extra set of hands around the house is a great way to improve the well-being of seniors while better avoiding situations that lead to falls.

3. Active lifestyle

   Building strength through exercise not only provides the ability to avoid most falls, but it also has a huge impact on the overall health and happiness of seniors!

4. Creating a safe in-home environment

   There is a huge opportunity to set up any home for senior success and safety. Even small changes like improved lighting and railing can be cheap, effective ways to improve the independence and mobility of you or your family.

   To help get you started on some small changes in your home, check out this guide to some cheap, easy home improvement ideas for fall prevention!

5. Using assistive devices

   Devices like canes and walkers are aimed at increasing the stability and confidence of seniors when moving around. Whether it is at home or abroad, there can be a huge improvement with this simple change.

Environmental hazards are one of the biggest causes of additional accidents and injury upon a fall, so taking care of potential dangers in your home can be an excellent way to improve the independence of you or your loved one throughout the whole home!

Here are some common hazards to protect against:

1. Sharp corners

   These are an extremely dangerous factor during falls and can even turn a minor fall into a deadly event. Take some time to look around your home and find these dangerous areas!

2. Hard items or surfaces

   While this does not mean your whole home is in need of “senior-proofing”, extremely tough surfaces like stone, hardwood, or metals can intensify the injuries sustained from falling.

3. Active lifestyle

   Building strength through exercise not only provides the ability to avoid most falls, but it also has a huge impact on the overall health and happiness of seniors!

4. Dark areas

   These areas can be a catalyst for seniors to trip and fall. Lighting up your spaces can help keep them stay safe and avoid catch points around the house.

5. Slippery surfaces

   Whether is it naturally slick or slippery when wet, these surfaces can turn a simple spill in the home into a greater risk for your loved ones.

Big changes like this don’t just make things safer. They often breathe new life into the home. Check out one of our client home revival stories to learn more about how impactful this can be.

A fall can be a very scary event, but taking the right steps immediately following can dramatically reduce the chances of complications further down the road.

If a fall is serious, you should always contact the proper healthcare professionals about the incident.

To help in caring for a senior that has recently fallen, here are some steps to safely help a loved one recover from a fall:

1. Stay calm

   This is a dangerous time, but your response can make a huge difference for the better. Remaining calm and focused will help guarantee success.

2. Examine for injuries

   If there is a serious injury, confirm it and call for help immediately. If there is bleeding or the senior is unresponsive, then every second of response time matters.

3. Identify pain points

   If the senior is responsive, or partially injured, identify the areas that are hurting and use that information to better plan for how to help them up.

4. Call for help

   If any injury requires any type of non-emergency medical attention, call for help and get the proper care. It is okay to admit that you are not able to fully help, but will help the senior get the help they need.

After you confirm the extent of the injuries sustained by the fall, it is time to see if you or the person who has fallen can get up. Remember, you should be helping them up and not lifting them.

If the person who has fallen is safe, but cannot get up with assistance, it is best to call for help to make sure no additional injuries occur.

These are the steps for helping a senior up after a fall::

1. Find (and get next to) a raised surface for support

   This is going to be used in empowering the person who has fallen to better get up on their own by providing an additional point of contact. Adding points of contact inherently makes things more stable and helps you or your loved one mitigate the risk of falling again.

2. Roll to the side

   Depending on the extent of the fall, there may have been mild to moderate injury to the back or neck. Sitting up from a supine position can sometimes add undue stress to the neck, core, and back. To avoid this stress, roll over and assist the injured senior in pushing themselves up. This will keep the back aligned and in better condition.

3. Assist them onto hands and knees

   Points of contact are key here, and being on your hands and knees adds a total of four points between the senior and the ground, making them extremely stable. If the person who has fallen needs a break this is a great point to take a short rest and for you to communicate the next steps.

4. Use supports to get one foot on the ground

   Using one or both hands, help the fallen person push themselves up using the raised surface and bring the strongest leg forward. The goal is to get one foot flat on the ground to assist in getting all the way up.

5. Push on surfaces to rise up

   After a foot is already on the ground, it is time to get up. Help the senior push themselves up with both hands and a foot so they begin to rise up. Support and assist, but do not fully lift them as they get up. If they are still facing the raised surface upon getting up, they must turn around before sitting down.

6. Take a seat

   This is a time to rest and recover some strength while the proper people are contacted. A serious fall can be a traumatic experience for many, so taking the time to rest after getting to a better position can be a great staging area for the next steps.

7. Notify your doctor

   Even if it is just a minor fall, it is best to notify your primary care physician of the fall. It can change their recommendations about preventative care and treatment to help better mitigate the risk of another fall.