Decreased mobility, poor hearing and eyesight, and increased medication use all raise the risk of your elderly parents or grandparents falling and injuring themselves. A past injury or recent surgery can also make it harder to get around and could result in a fall. Below are some senior care tips you can apply to help your loved ones and reduce the risk of a fall.

How to Prevent Elderly Falls

1. Go for Regular Walks

Regular exercise is a key part of senior care that keeps your loved one’s bones strong and their muscles flexible. Try to visit them once or more a week to go for a walk. Take them to the mall to explore stores or to your local park. Walking will help to improve their balance, reduce arthritis pain, and decrease the likelihood of developing a physical disability. Hopefully, it will also encourage them to participate in other moderate activities in your absence. 

2. Review Their Medications

Although your parents might be hesitant to share their medical information with you, knowing what medications they are taking will help you to better care for them. You can learn about side effects, such as dizziness and weakness, and help them to stay organized, so they don’t combine certain pills. Also, you can ensure their different doctors are aware of their prescription history, so they don’t accidentally become over-medicated. 

3. Rearrange Furnishings

Excess clutter around their home makes it more likely for your loved one to trip and fall. Help them keep their house tidy and discuss ways to reduce their furnishings to make it easier to maneuver from room to room. Also, install more lighting to increase visibility, and add rugs and mats that offer grip on slippery floors. 

When you can’t be there to look after your loved one, it’s reassuring to know that trained home care providers will take care of them. MASH Home Care provides homemaker and personal care services to seniors in Henderson, Webster, and Union County, KY. Their senior care extends to people living in their own home as well as in assisted living and long-term care facilities. Visit their website to learn more about their services, and call them at (844) 770-9881 to find a caregiver for your loved one.