New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
Many people write off falls as a normal danger associated with the aging process. In reality, this could not be any further from the truth. While September was Fall Prevention Month, it’s important for the elderly and their loved ones to remain up to date about the various dangers associated with falls as well as what can be done to stop them.
Factors that Can Lead to Falls
Falls are the second most common factor for older individuals needing long-term care. Dementia is the most common factor. To prevent as well as treat the injuries and other damage caused by falls, it’s a good idea for patients as well as caregivers to inform themselves about what causes falls.
Many people are not even informed about the events that led to a fall. Many older individuals will report that they simply felt funny and fell. In actuality, there’s often an underlying condition that led to the fall. This is why older adults need to be informed about why falls tend to occur.
After learning about the causes of falls, which include hypotension, the side effects of medication, and poor lower extremity strength, it’s a wise idea for caregivers to perform a fall assessment. These assessments can be made by either a home care professional or a physician. Some of the other most common causes of falls in the elderly include:
- The overall decline in an elderly adult’s condition can greatly increase his or her chances of getting injured in a fall.
- Declines in vision can make it difficult to notice fall hazards and change a person’s conditions correspondingly.
- Various medications can greatly increase a person’s chances of getting injured in a fall.
- Chronic diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkin’s, and other conditions can negatively impact a person’s physical strength, chronic function, and joint integrity.
- Various surgeries including hip replacement can leave elderly adults weak and more likely to get injured in falls.
- Environmental factors like inadequate lighting and uneven floor can increase a person’s chances of getting hurt in a fall.
In the same way that blood pressure screenings can be utilized to remain observant of heart function, fall screening tools function similarly and help to keep people up to date with the various risk factors for falls that they face.
What You Can Do to Prevent Falls at Home
Countless helpful tips exist to help prevent falls. Some of these tips include performing household repairs, looking for any environmental fall hazards, placing a grab bar close to the older adult’s bed and shower, and making sure that any carpeting is neither loose nor torn. If an older adult has a home care provider, this provider can help greatly with fall risk management.
Contact an Experienced Elder Law Attorney
If your loved one was injured in a slip and fall accident and you believe that the facility where your loved one resides is responsible for this accident, you should not hesitate to speak with a compassionate attorney. Contact Ettinger Law Firm today to schedule a free case evaluation.