How Serious Are Falls and How Might Assisted Living Reduce Those Risks for Seniors?

Did you know that about one-third of all seniors slip and fall at least once a year? As people get older, the risk of falling increases. As we age, our body changes, the muscles become weaker, and it becomes more difficult to not only gain more muscle mass but just to retain what we had before.

As a result, getting up from a chair can become extremely problematic. Walking up and down stairs is almost impossible. Jogging … forget about it.

Not everyone is the same. This should be patently obvious to most adults. However, like children in public schools, seniors are often viewed and treated just like any other person their age or who is dealing with the same struggles.

One elderly gentleman might have fallen getting out of bed in the morning when he was 75 and another stumbled (double-clutched at the chair) rising from the dining room table. Should they be treated the same? Should they both be denied the right to do certain activities just because their adult children or spouse (who support them) don’t think those are ‘safe’ activities?

 

People make many mistakes caring for their loved ones.

You may be one of those adults who has now been thrust into the role of caregiver for an aging parent. You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t want it, but there it is, staring you in the face, teasing you, making fun of you.

And you wake up each day determined to do the best you can for them. One of the first things most family caregivers do is try and keep their aging parents safe. So, they start denying them the right to do certain things (or they argue mightily against such things if they can’t actually prevent them from doing it).

Then, when the day is over and they return home to their own sanctuary, their own place of solitude, they worry. “Did I forget …?” “Will mom try to get out of bed in the middle of the night?” “What if she’s on the ground, in pain, and can’t call for help? I saw her this evening. I know she was feeling tired and weak. Why did I just leave?”

The questions don’t stop. And the fear builds. But what’s the option to help reduce the risk of falls and other safety mishaps?

 

Assisted living helps.

It truly does. It’s one of the best elder care options to help seniors stay safer. It does this through a wide range of options, including better layout and design, which helps to reduce obstacles and hazards. Experienced staff monitors medications to ensure that residents are taking what they’re supposed to be taking, and at the correct times.

They conduct a wide range of activities that are designed to promote physical and mental well-being. Their staff also provides the physical support needed by some aging seniors when they have trouble getting around on their own.

Reducing the risk of falls is a huge step in helping seniors stay safe, and assisted living is the elder care choice that makes that happen more consistently than any other.

If you or an aging loved one is considering a move to Assisted Living in Cave Creek, AZ please contact the caring staff at MD Senior Living today. 480-267-9200