How you can help prevent injuries in your ageing parents

Hello everyone!

As our parents age, their well-being becomes a top priority. Their bodies really aren’t what they once were when they were younger, and all of that energy is just gone. So, one thing you need to keep in mind as your parents get older is the fact that they’re more susceptible to injuries, and these injuries can really impact them for the worse. So, preventing injuries is a crucial aspect of ensuring their safety and maintaining their quality of life. 

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While this is obvious, how can you help them out with this? You can’t monitor them 24/7 to ensure their safety. Well, you’ll still be able to help, and with that said, here’s exactly how to help prevent your ageing parents from getting injured:

Do a home safety assessment.

If your parents live alone in their home, then why not consider doing an assessment? Most elder injuries are actually accidents that happen right at home. So, go ahead and identify potential hazards such as loose rugs, uneven flooring, or clutter in high-traffic areas. You’ll need to ensure good lighting, especially in stairwells and hallways. 

Plus, you’ll want to make necessary modifications, such as installing handrails and grab bars, to create a safer living environment. For the most part, this doesn’t need to be thorough or nitty-gritty; a lot of this stuff is easy to spot. 

Are there any fall risks?

This is basically piggybacking on what was above, but in their daily lives, is there anything that could potentially get them to fall? This could be as simple as bath mats, but this could even be more, such as a loose stair on their porch, a slippery sidewalk when they go outside, or something like that, which could be controlled. You might even want to consider using assistive devices like canes or walkers if necessary.

Create an emergency plan.

So, it’s best to have a comprehensive emergency plan in place. You’ll need to ensure that your parents have access to emergency numbers, know how to use medical alert systems if applicable, and have a list of contacts who can be reached in case of an emergency. 

They usually know this, but it’s still best to just go ahead and discuss the plan with them regularly to reinforce its importance. On top of that, what will you do if they get injured? Depending on the severity and how it happened, you’ll need to know what lawyers to have on your side, like Rankin & Gregory, so you won’t have to frantically search if the time were ever to come. 

Make sure they get regular check-ups.

So, one thing you need to keep in mind (if you didn’t already know) is that regular health check-ups are essential for the early detection and prevention of potential health issues. While injuries could easily happen, having solid health will at least be a nice preventative measure. So, be sure to schedule routine appointments with healthcare providers to monitor your parents' overall health, manage chronic conditions, and address any emerging concerns.

Thank you for reading, and until next time, take care.