Preventing falls in the community for the elderly should be a topic that is discussed more often.

However, usually when you read information about preventing falls, the focus in on the home.

But chances are that your loved one also spends time outside the house.

And although we cannot always control what happens in the community, there are precautions to take to help your loved one stay safe in the community.

In today’s post, I’ll share a few tips that will help to prevent falls in the community.

Preventing falls in the community for the elderly

Safe footwear

Wearing the right footwear is key to preventing falls in the community for the elderly.

Shoes should have:

• A good tread on the bottom to encourage friction so a person is not likely to trip. Worn shoes which don’t have a good tread will cause your loved one to trip easily.

Orient your loved one to the area

This is especially important if your loved one will be visiting a place for the first time.

Let them know of any obstacles in the way or sudden elevations (eg. a step) so they don’t trip over those.

If it helps and where appropriate, you could visit the premises ahead of time to note those problem areas so you can prepare your loved one for them.

Glasses and contacts

If your loved one uses glasses or any other visual aid to help with a visual impairment, encourage them to put them on.

Communicate with event organizers

If you know someone on the event organization team, it might help to communicate with them ahead of time so they can make sure electrical cables are out of the way and fluid spills are wiped up immediately.

Sometimes this is impossible.

But if it can be helped, communicate ahead of the event.

Use mobility aids where necessary

Anything that makes mobility easier for your elderly loved one while they are in the community is great for staying safe in the community.

Easy communication devices

Say your loved one is walking their dog and falls down in a secluded area.

Do they have access to a communication device that will help them get in touch with someone immediately?

Several companies now have devices that the elderly can hang around their necks or otherwise gain easy access to.

You could encourage your loved one to have such a device on them in case this happens while they’re on their own.

 

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