Signs Your Loved One is Falling at Home
One of the most difficult things an elderly loved one can experience is falling. This event not only frightens them, but it also puts their health (and potentially their life) at risk.
Knowing what to look for can help us prevent those falls from happening in the first place. This week, we will discuss some signs that your elderly loved one might be falling at home and some tips on how to prevent those falls from occurring.
They Appear Disheveled Often
One of the things that someone who has fallen will do is have a disheveled appearance. They may have scuffs and scrapes on their clothing, they might be missing shoes or a jacket, and their hair may look out of place.
These signs can indicate that your loved one fell recently. When someone falls, it usually causes them to become unkempt quickly.
If this sounds like something you have been noticing in your elderly loved one lately, then there is a good chance they are starting to fall more often than before.
They Have Odd Scrapes and Bruises
If your loved one is starting to fall more often, then they may start showing odd scrapes and bruises. These marks are usually caused by tripping, bumping into things in their home, or hitting objects when they go down due to losing balance.
The scuffs might be small but if you notice them appearing on different spots of the body several times over a few days or weeks, then this may indicate that there's something wrong with your elderly family member physically.
They Appear Fearful
If you have noticed that your aging parent has become increasingly fearful lately, then this can point to some serious problems going on inside their mind.
Fear indicates an awareness of danger which implies that something bad is going to happen. If your loved one has been acting fearful in the days leading up to a fall then there may be something that is causing them anxiety and they are trying their best to keep safe from it.
They Tend to Trip over Nothing
One of the most common signs that an elderly person might become increasingly at risk for falling is when they start tripping over absolutely nothing on a regular basis. This tends to indicate some form of dizziness or imbalance which can cause someone's gait, or general way of walking around, to appear off balance even though it isn't.
Falls occur because people lose their footing unexpectedly so if this keeps happening with no real reason behind it, then they could be starting to experience a shift in their health.
They are Increasingly Fearful about Leaving the House
Another sign that your elderly loved one might be falling at home is when they start becoming afraid of leaving the house or going outside for even short periods of time.
When people become more fearful about venturing out, this usually means something negative has happened to them recently and it's causing anxiety around certain activities like traveling via car or by foot.
Concerned about your loved one’s safety and well-being?
If you are noticing any of these signs, it may be a sign that your loved one is falling. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today for more information.