Preventing Falls In Assisted Living Homes

One of the most important features in assisted living homes are the precautions they take to prevent falls for their elderly residents. Falls are the leading cause of injuries among older adults. The risk of falling also creates anxiety for residents, so here are a few things we do in our assisted living homes tips to prevent them and ease the minds of the elderly and their loved ones.

1. Our staff makes lists for our residents to go over with their doctors that could contribute to falls. The list should include: any previous falls, which medications our residents are taking, hydration, any health issues that could cause falls, if any obstructions were present. Sharing as much information as possible with your physician helps to get to the bottom of falling.
2. Our physical therapists and medical professionals recommend the use of a walker or other assistance to get around. Things like handrails where needed and grab bars for the shower will help our residents to maintain balance. Many of our homes have non-slip treads on walkways and stairs, too. Toilets can be too close to the floor for some, so most have a raised toilet seat. We also add seats to the showers for ease and safety while bathing.
3. Stay active. The more you do things as simple as short walks, the better the chances of you being able to avoid a fall. We have activity coordinators and physical therapists to lead exercise classes like chair yoga and tai chi. Your doctor may prescribe a physical therapist to keep you active and give you strengthening exercises while living in one of our assisted living homes.
4. In our assisted living homes, we’ve cleaned up the clutter. We ensure anything on the floor is moved to a safe area that won’t impede our residents being able to get around without tripping. We also use tape to make rugs safer, or get rid of them altogether. Our staff makes sure everything used on a daily basis is within reach, such as clothing, food, and other necessities. 
5. Our assisted living homes have installed proper lighting throughout the homes. All lamps and light switches are within easy reach for our residents, and we often add touch lights in hallways to safely navigate normally dark areas. The bedrooms all have a lamp next to the bed for middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks. 
6. One thing everyone who works in our assisted living homes are sturdy shoes that don’t flop or easily come off the feet. They recommend non-skid soles for shoes and socks, for those who prefer grip socks for in-home wear. There are several types of sneakers that are easy to put on and take off now, with many that don’t need to be laced up. Your healthcare provider should have recommendations. 

At Modern Care Homes, our staff, managers, and medical personnel all take extra care to keep our listed homes clean and clutter-free. We ensure everyone is trained properly in fall prevention and treatment. Please reach out to us to take a tour of any of the homes listed on our website to see the precautions we take for our residents.