A third of adults over 65 living at home will fall at least once a year. Falling is so common that we think it’s inevitable. Yet, are we simply overlooking some vital ways to prevent falls in later life?
Accidents happen all the time. But as we get older the chances of falling become greater and the risk of injuries more likely. This is an unfortunate part of the natural process of aging; as we get older our muscles weaken, our vision worsens, and our bodies become more sensitive to health conditions.
The future might not sound so bright, yet there are also environmental circumstances that too can influence your independence at home.
Wet floors – areas like the bathroom are inevitably prone to wet and slippery surfaces. This makes it dangerous as it’s easy to oversight how little control you can have on a wet floor.
Difficult access – in most cases modern homes often aren’t future proof when it comes to accessibility. There can be awkward narrow stairs, uneven flooring or tricky access to things like showers, which, especially in later life, can prove a troubling factor to falls.
Poor lighting – when lighting is dim, it can restrict your view and make it hard to see where your moving. This can be particularly dangerous on the stairs, like when rushing down in the middle of the night to get a glass of water.
Rugs or carpets – It’s easy to forget to look where you’re walking, and an old carpet or a rug that gives you little grip can cause you to trip or fall over.
How to prevent falls?
Having an accident at home, like falling, is sometimes unavoidable. And as the chances are greater with older age, isn’t it time to prepare for your future by making your home as safe as possible?
There are small adjustments you could make in your home now, to ensure your space is as safe and accessible as possible for years to come.
Try a slip-resistant shower tray
Wet flooring can inevitably make it harder to have steady footing. This is especially true when it comes to showers, with access in and out becoming a lot trickier.
Having a shower with a slip-resistant tray, like those included in a Bathing Solutions walk in shower, will make your bathing experience hassle-free, helping to minimise falls as much as possible.
Install safety grab bars in your shower
For a bathing experience instilled with confidence and safety add grab bars to your shower. This will greatly help assisting your mobility in and out of the shower.
Our special feature grab bars are expertly crafted, to be strong and durable for whenever they’re needed. Easily assisting your safety in a standing or seating position, grab bars are a reliable instalment to equip your bathroom and a guaranteed investment for the future.
Improve your strength with simple exercises
Our muscles can become weaker as we get older, and therefore make us more prone to injury and accidental falls. Performing some easy exercises every day, is a step to improving muscle ability by increasing your strength and flexibility.
Try some stretching to get your body moving. To help develop your arm and shoulder strength, exercises like arm raises are a great place to start. This can be performed sitting or standing and is the movement of raising your arms in circular motions whilst breathing slowly in and out.
To improve your leg strength, try incorporating squats into your daily or weekly routine. This movement requires you to bend your legs, until your knees are over your big toes, and come back to standing. To start, use a chair to assist you and aim to repeat the exercise five times.
Remove any unnecessary clutter
Homes can easily become filled with clutter; when family come to visit, in the midst of redecorating a room or simply after a busy week. Yet, ensuring that small objects that you could easily step on by mistake are stored away will greatly reduce the risk of falls. It’s a great habit to get into, and worthwhile to start sooner rather than later.
If you’re interested in finding out more about protecting for your future, and preventing falls with the help of Bathing Solutions, then why not call us on 0808 302 4020 or request your free brochure today.