Remember how when you were younger how you’d often find yourself slipping and tripping over? Typically, you’d pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go about your day as usual. As we grow older, however, a fall becomes very different.
Whereas once upon a time a slip, trip, or fall was no big deal, if you are elderly, a slip, trip or fall could potentially be fatal.
According to the experts working in elderly care London, 1 in 3 adults living at home by themselves will have at least one fall each year. As mentioned, falls in the elderly are very serious and could potentially be fatal.
The good news is that when it comes to elderly care, falls can be preventable, though it’s important to understand the severity of them.
Here are some key things to know.
As mentioned previously, when people are younger, if they fall, they’ll likely pick themselves up, experience some slight pain or discomfort, and go about their business as usual.
For elderly people, though, especially those living alone, a fall could be fatal.
To begin with, elderly people’s bones become softer and brittle as they grow older, which makes them more susceptible to breakages.
Then there’s also the risk that an elderly person would fall, and not have the strength or mobility to get back on their feet, leaving them stranded until help arrives, if indeed it does.
Some elderly people may simply trip over an object, an item of furniture, or even a pet, whereas others may find themselves on the floor as a result of what is known as a major intrinsic medical event, for example a stroke.
In this section we’re going to take a look at a few of the key risk factors for a fall.
When it comes to elderly care, the experts including those at elderly care London companies, insist that prevention is the best cure, and who are we to argue?
Here’s a look at a few of the main risk factors for falls in the elderly.
First up, there’s tripping over items around the house.
Whether it be a piece of furniture, a rug, a mat, a table, or even a pet, there is always the risk that the elderly individual in question could trip over and find themselves on the floor.
Secondly, there’s pre-existing medical issues.
Heart disease, stroke, dementia, neurological issues, diabetes, vertigo, and any other pre-existing medical issues could potentially result in an elderly person falling.
Another common reason why many elderly people fall over at home is through medication.
Certain medications can cause dizzy spells, weakness, fatigue, blurred vision, and more besides, which would all put the elderly person in question at a greater risk of a fall.
Osteoporosis causes the bones to become weak and brittle, whereas muscle atrophy can result in a lack of strength.
Either of these conditions can increase the likelihood of a fall.
Let’s face it, some elderly people will enjoy a drink like many others, but the problem here is that alcohol can cause intoxication which can leave them unsteady on their feet.
Alcohol may also interact with medication, which could result in dizzy spells.
Sometimes falls are inevitable, no matter how careful you are, but in other instances falls in the elderly can be prevented.
A few ways of helping to prevent falls include:
For more information about falls, please visit the NHS falls page
Or for more information about Health and social care, check out our latest blogs
Virtus Care is fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission which is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. As quoted in our CQC report: A person using the service told us, "I have the best carers in Britain. They know how to deal with my mental health issues, they support me, they calm me down."
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