Are you aware that falls are the leading cause of injuries in older adults? For seniors, a bad fall can result in cuts, fractures, and even serious brain injuries. Aside from poor mobility or vision loss, falls can be caused by trip hazards found at home. In addition to receiving help from a home care provider, it is also important to make adjustments in the senior’s home to further decrease the risk of falls.

Likewise, today’s blog will discuss tips to help make your senior loved one’s home safer to prevent falls:

Identify and Remove Trip Hazards
Trip hazards can be things like loose carpet floorboards and throw rugs. Examine each room in the household, especially the rooms where your loved one frequents the most. At times, fixtures can contribute to falls. These may need to be removed or replaced for more effective fall prevention.

Improve Lighting
In some cases, poor lighting may also cause falls, especially for seniors with declining vision. Install brighter light bulbs where needed, such as narrow hallways and bathrooms. This will provide better guidance at night.

Clean Up Clutter
Perhaps the easiest way to prevent falls at home is to remove clutter. This may include stacks of old books and magazines, mail, and other items from staircases and hallways. Other examples of clutter include loose wires and unused items to keep the home neat.

Install Assistive Devices
Safety devices can help seniors go up and down the stairs, get on and off the toilet, and step in and out of the bathtub without injuring themselves. Items grab bars, handrails, and shower chairs can help increase safety in the bathroom and key areas at home like the bedroom, kitchen, hallways, and stairways.

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Many older adults and their caregivers believe that heart disease is inevitable with old age.

However, there are numerous ways to keep the heart in great shape and improve cardiovascular health. With the right lifestyle habits and the support of a home care provider, seniors can strengthen their immune systems and reduce the risk of conditions that lead to heart disease.

In line with American Heart Month, we will share a few heart-healthy tips for older adults and their caregivers:

Stay Active

Older adults should aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. Great examples of aerobic activities include gardening and swimming. Seniors should also work on improving their balance, flexibility, and strength through activities like yard work, bike riding, or yoga.

Eat a Well-Balanced Diet

In general, seniors should focus on a mostly plant-based diet with vegetables and whole fruits making up most of their food consumption per day. Heart-healthy proteins are also good, such as lean meat, eggs, legumes, and skinless poultry. They should avoid sugary drinks, as well as salty and processed foods.

Be Symptom Savvy

Learning more about heart disease and its symptoms is important. Although its symptoms are barely noticeable in the early stages, knowing the signs of a stroke or heart attack when the disease progresses can save a life.

Symptoms of a heart attack include upper body discomfort, chest pain, shortness of breath, and nausea. Meanwhile, stroke symptoms include F.A.S.T., which stands for face numbness on one side, arm numbness, speech difficulty, and time to call an emergency number if these symptoms appear.

With these tips, seniors and their caregivers can take the steps to improve cardiovascular health. This decreases the risk of heart disease and promotes healthy aging and longevity.

• 2023: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2022: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2021: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2020: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2019: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2018: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2017: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec