Fall is one of the leading causes of injury among aging adults; when it becomes consistent, it can lead to death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aging adults above 65 experienced 29 million falls in 2014 alone. These falls led to seven million injuries and cost around $31 billion in Medicare costs.
This explains why your loved one needs to avoid falling at all costs. If your loved one avoids certain activities because of falling, it’s time to modify your present home or move them to an assisted living community. Here is a comparison of how accessible homes and assisted living in Cherokee, SC, help prevent falls:
Activities and Events
Staying at home is a good option as long as aging adults have caregivers around them. However, activities and events in an assisted living community cannot be accessed at home. Your loved one can only engage in simple activities like yoga and sit-to-be-fit without professional supervision.
Assisted living communities have many activities to offer your loved one. Aside from activities and events to keep you engaged with other residents, fitness classes can help improve their overall well-being. These classes are designed to help your loved ones improve their coordination, flexibility, gait, and strength. Your loved one joins classes to improve body balance with activities like yoga, and Tai Chi.
The Bathroom
One out of every three adults over 65 has a higher tendency to fall. Most of these falls occur in the bathroom because of slippery surfaces. If you want to make the bathroom safer for your loved one, you can install safety bars for the bathtub and chairs for the shower.
On the other hand, assisted living communities include safety measures in the bathrooms, for example, grab bars by the shower. In addition, the bathtubs feature non-skid surfaces.
Stairs and Hallways
Once you have decided to allow your loved one to age at home, you need to do a lot of renovation. With time, your loved one will find it hard to climb the stairs or even come down without falling. To prevent falls on the stairs, ensure there are handrails on both sides, and they must be bolted to the walls. In the hallways, ensure there is enough light and remove area rugs to reduce the risk of tripping.
Since retirement communities are created to adapt to the needs of the residents, all measures have been taken to prevent falls. The hallways are well-lit and wider enough to allow walking aids or wheelchairs. Aging adults might not need stairs since elevators are always available to move around the community.
The Kitchen
Slip-proof floors, grab bars, and utensils with ergonomic designs are ways of keeping the kitchen safe for aging adults. Also, you might want to adjust varying heights in the kitchen to prevent unnecessary bends. In addition, you can replace glassware and ceramic in the kitchen with heavy-duty plastic dishes.
Kitchenettes in assisted living communities are designed with aging adults in mind. The heights of the sink and stove are appropriate, therefore, your loved one does not need to bend. To make things safer, your loved one can leave the cooking to the team members who are professional chefs. They will prepare meals tailored to the health of your loved one.
