As your parents get older and their mobility starts to suffer, the likelihood of them having a fall is much greater. People don’t always realize how dangerous falls can be for elderly people and it’s important that you react properly if it does happen. Here’s what you should do if your elderly parent has a fall.
Be Careful About Moving Them
If your parent has a broken bone, moving them can make the injury worse and lead to further complications. It may be tempting to rush in and help them up right away but you need to be careful. Ask if they feel any pain, if they feel any tingling, or if their legs don’t seem to work. If there’s nothing wrong, you can help them up slowly and gently. However, if they are in a lot of pain, you shouldn’t move them too quickly.
Call For Help Immediately
After you’ve assessed the situation, your next step should be to call for help. If nobody else is around, you may have to go and get other people but make sure that you don’t leave them alone for too long. Try to describe the injuries in as much detail as possible and then listen to the advice of the paramedics before they arrive.
Rethink Their Living Situation
When an elderly parent falls, it can be a sign that they aren’t safe in their current living situation. In some cases, you need to make changes to their home like adding a stair lift and railings around the home so they can get around much easier. Making these changes will keep them safe and prevent more falls in the future.
However, you may decide that it is not safe for them to live on their own at all. If they are in good enough health, you may want to consider having them move into your home. This way you can monitor their health and make sure that they’re getting the care that they need. If you don’t think it’s a good idea for them to live with you, there are plenty of other options. You may need to think about care home facilities or in-home care if they are unable to live safely on their own. These decisions are hard, but they need to be made.
Help With Their Recovery
When your elderly parent comes home from the hospital, you need to help them with their recovery. This means making sure they’re eating properly and taking medications on time. It may also be necessary to help them move around and change positions throughout the day so that they don’t develop any further injuries or complications. If you find yourself overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next, ask your doctor for advice about this as well as other suggestions on how you can help care for your injured loved one.
There’s nothing worse than thinking about aging parents falling over and getting hurt. However, it is important that you react quickly if this does happen because it could make all the difference in terms of their recovery process. By following these tips
Kori
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