07 October 2020
It’s balance and falls month at Healthcare Pro and we’re focussing on all the ways to help take care of yourself and your relatives.
Did you know that around a third of people aged 65 and over, and 50% of people aged 80 and over, will fall at least once a year?[1]
A fall doesn’t just cause potential injury. It can have a lasting mental impact on your relative, especially if they were alone for a while before help arrived. This may result in an increased feeling of anxiety around falling, one that means they move around less and with more caution because they’re afraid of it happening again. Yet they could actually be increasing their risk by doing this as their muscles weaken, so it’s important to try and keep moving if they can.
If your relative has suffered a fall, even if it didn’t end in a hospital visit, it’s a good idea for them to visit their doctor. This is to rule out any other medical reason that might have caused them to fall. Their doctor may also be able to refer them for a fall assessment or to the falls prevention service.[2]
Talk with your relative about what worries them most about falling. If it’s a fear of falling and being unable to get up again, this could be relieved by getting them a fall alarm.
A fall alarm will alert you or their carer that they’ve fallen and need help. You can get fall alarms for the home like the Home Safety Alert – Pendant Alarm System. This comes with two pendants that sound an alarm in the home when activated so you can go find them and help.
If they live alone, a phone with an alarm like the AmpliDECT 295 SOS PRO-Amplified Cordless Telephone could be a great solution. It comes with a small pendant that they can push in an emergency – like if they’ve fallen and can’t get up. This clever alarm then dials one of four stored numbers for help. If the first number isn’t answered, it will dial the next stored number, and so on. This can give them peace of mind that if they fall, someone will come help them.
It’s a good idea to look at their home environment as well to make sure any obvious trip hazards are dealt with, like clearing up unnecessary clutter or putting a collar with a bell on it on their pets so they can hear where they are!
If you need any help with choosing the right product, speak to one of our in-house occupational therapists for free on 0345 121 8111 or email productadvice@healthcarepro.co.uk
If you, or your relative, have any concerns about their balance or risk of falling, please speak with a doctor.
[1] https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/information-guides/ageukig14_staying_steady_inf.pdf
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/falls-applying-all-our-health/falls-applying-all-our-health
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