Preventing Falls at Home

Falling and being injured is one of the more common worries of the elderly and those who care for them. When your elderly loved one has Alzheimer’s disease, the risk of him falling and hurting himself increases.

Why Falls are More Common for Alzheimer’s Patients

While falling is an event that affects a person physically, the causes for many Alzheimer’s patients are often related to cognitive issues as well as physical reasons.

• Visual perception changes. This isn’t always just poor eyesight; it can often be due to an inability to properly discern what is seen. Some people with Alzheimer’s disease begin to struggle with visualizing and interpreting their surroundings. They might also struggle with depth perception, making stairs especially difficult.
• Confusion and delirium. Your loved one might become confused about where he is and not notice the stairs right in front of him. Or he might become extremely agitated or restless and forget about being careful where he is walking.
• Gait changes. Some Alzheimer’s patients change the way they walk, and they begin to shuffle a lot more. Without properly picking up his feet as he walks, your loved one is more likely to trip over an upturned edge of a rug. Balance can also become a problem, making it more difficult for him to adjust to a sudden change in flooring, such as walking onto carpet from linoleum.
• Medication side effects. Talk to your loved one’s doctor to find out if his medication may make him more prone to spells of dizziness or vertigo.

Four Steps to Preventing Falls at Home

Since the risk of falls increases for Alzheimer’s patients, especially as the disease progresses, prevention is your best course of action. Reducing the risk of falls may not protect your loved one completely, but it can help decrease the likelihood of a serious fall happening.

1. Increase the visibility of pathways. Your loved one needs to be able to clearly see where he is walking while at the same time, without confusion. While a clear and clean floor can help reduce the risk of tripping, a floor that is too shiny can cause confusion for your elderly loved one and make him unsure of his footing. Another item to consider removing is mirrors and, if possible, glass doors. Both can confuse your loved one as he walks around.
2. Provide places to hold onto. For staircases, a railing will do. In a living area, consider how easily your loved one can reach the edge of a couch or the wall to steady himself in case he becomes disorientated.
3. Eliminate distractions. Don’t let your loved one try to multitask while he’s walking around the home. The phone should not be used unless he’s sitting, and when possible, he should avoid trying to carry anything bulky while walking or using the stairs.
4. Have someone there to help him walk. An Alzheimer’s home care provider in the home can help your loved one get from one place to another safely. His Alzheimer’s home care provider may simply verbally guide him by reminding him to watch where he walks or to avoid the corner of the table, or his Alzheimer’s care provider may provide actual physical support by holding onto an elbow or arm as he moves around the home and yard.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Randlman, NC, contact the caring professionals at TenderHearted Home Care today. Call us at (704) 612-4132