The cost of elders’ injuries to the Canadian health system is steep. There are tremendous consequences of injuries to the seniors themselves as well as their families. With falls being the leading cause of injuries in this age group in Canada, the Division of Aging and Seniors has been promoting public awareness and education, programs in the community and the development of policies regarding fall prevention for elder persons.
Seniors and their families can take an active role in preventive measures to make their environment safer. The key is in not waiting until an accident happens, like a fall, to take action. The following examples will illustrate the importance of doing something ahead of time to prevent falls.
Alice and Fred – Alice had started to become frail and didn’t have much strength in her arms or legs. She also had some illnesses that weakened her overall strength and flexibility. Fred had actually enjoyed pretty good health even though he was 5 years older than his wife, Alice. Their family wasn’t worried about their physical well-being because even though Alice couldn’t do that much for herself anymore, Fred was always there and seemed to have no problems. He would fix meals for them, help her out of the tub and getting dressed. One day, Alice lost her footing and slipped in the bathroom. Fred couldn’t catch her and the fall resulted in a broken leg for Alice. Looking back on things, the family wished they had installed grab bars sooner. You just never know when they will be needed, so it’s better to have them there sooner than later.
Albert – After his wife passed on, Albert continued to live at home. He was pretty active for his age, going on walks around his neighborhood every day and trying to keep up his physical fitness. His children worried that he wasn’t eating very healthy though. He didn’t like to cook and had always relied on his wife to make the meals. His diet had gone downhill. The family decided to hire a home care provider for a few hours each day to help Albert get a home cooked meal and clean up the dishes. The caregiver started to notice unusual things in Albert’s behavior, which went farther than just normal memory loss and she reported it to the family. None of them lived near Albert, so they were grateful after he was diagnosed with dementia that someone had been there to catch it early on. They were thankful they didn’t have a big emergency like Albert getting lost on a walk or forgetting to turn the stove off.
If you aren’t sure how to prevent falls in your senior loved one’s home, contact the home care agency to send someone to make a professional assessment of what needs to be done.
Contact us for caregiving services care and companionship. For more information about caregiving services, call 905-709-1767.
About Susan Di Michele
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