For many families, the holidays are a great time to gather everyone together and celebrate the traditions, love, and relationships that make the family special. If you have an elderly loved one who has health or mobility issues, you might have some concerns about traveling a long distance with your loved one. You want them to be able to experience all of the holiday joy they can with their family, but you also want to keep them safe and healthy during their travels.
One area that people often forget to research for their loved one is fall safety. If your loved one has a condition that causes her to struggle with balance or spatial recognition, or if she has had a bad fall in the past, you might need to be especially proactive in this area for her safety to prevent a possible fall in her new and unknown environment. Senior fall risk management services can help.
Five Senior Fall Risk Management Areas to Review When Traveling
1. Clutter
The holidays bring so much…clutter! With the light strands around the home, banisters covered in garland, and presents piled high by the fireplace, it can look extremely festive but also be a danger zone for someone with a high fall risk.
One senior fall risk management tip is to work with your family to remove possible tripping hazards and unstable supports so your loved one can safely walk across a room without losing her balance.
2. Lighting
Sure, the Christmas lights bring beautiful light to a home, but the best way to enjoy Christmas lights is to turn off all of the other lights. And while that may make them sparkle brighter and feel festive, it might create a walking path that your loved one can’t see very well. Dark items on a dark floor will be harder to spot and easily tripped over.
3. Support
If your loved one needs help and the home she is visiting doesn’t have built-in support, you might consider bringing some portable support bars or a walker.
While you don’t want to appear to be a Scrooge, if there is garland on the stairway railings, you might want to ask to have it removed so your loved one can use those railings for adequate support when using the stairs.
4. Labeling
If your loved one struggles with confusion, it could help to label rooms so that if she needs to get up in the middle of the night, she can easily find the bathroom without accidentally stumbling.
5. Footing
Bring some non-slip slippers or shoes for your loved one to wear around the home. They will help her keep her footing on slick floors.
Let the Professionals Help with Senior Fall Risk Management
If you know your loved one is going to be spending an extended amount of time in a new environment over the holidays, you might want to consider having professionals from a senior fall risk management group come to the home to help you and your family make the home safe for your loved one.
A trained provider with senior fall risk management expertise can see things that you may not see and be able to help you create a plan that will protect your loved one and allow everyone to have an enjoyable and accident-free holiday together.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Fall Risk Management in Hillsborough, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care today at (415) 463-1400
Aviva In-Home Care provides exceptional senior home care in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hillsborough, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Lafayette, Orinda, and surrounding areas.
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