Keeping Your Senior Safe From Falls This Winter

As temperatures drop and ice becomes prevalent, your senior’s risk of enduring a slip or a fall becomes higher. While a younger person may be able to just dust themselves off after a fall, for an elderly individual these incidents can be devastating. In fact, in many cases they result in broken bones and other serious injuries. To keep your elderly loved one safe this winter, keep these tips in mind:

Encourage them to wear proper footwear

When shoes become worn, the traction essentially disappears. This sets a senior up for a slip or fall as they pass over a slick area. To prevent this from happening, make sure that your loved one’s footwear is in good condition. Encourage them to wear sturdy shoes that will provide a strong grip as they move about potentially icy conditions. This means persuading them to ditch heeled shoes or boots in favor of a more stable option. 

Keep the property clear

The home care professionals of Chapel Hill explain that an important part of elder care is ensuring that an elderly individual’s property is taken care of. This may mean hiring someone to shovel snow and put salt down so that ice disappears. If your loved one is no longer able to take care of these tasks on their own, hire a senior care professional to help or consider having a professional snow removal service come by and attend to the property regularly. 

Encourage your senior to take their time

When conditions are slippery, you should remind your elderly loved one to take their time as they move from place to place. They may feel guilty about moving slowly and try to quicken their pace as a result, but doing so can put them at risk of falling. Remind your senior that there is no need to rush, and that you are more than happy to wait for them as they slow down their pace. Encourage them to take as long as they need to get safely from one area to the next. An important part of caring for elderly family members is reminding them that you are there to support and not to judge.

Rely on help from an elder care professional

During the winter months, assistance from an elder care professional is often necessary in order to lessen your senior’s risk of slips and falls. When they do not have to head out and check the mail or shovel the sidewalk on their own, your senior’s chances of falling are greatly reduced. Even if you only have someone come assist one or two days per week, this can be a lifesaving change.