The risk of falling with dementia patients is high, with those that fall three times more likely to require hip surgery after a fall. There is also a high rate of fatalities with hip fractures with dementia patients. Intervening with strategies is the best way for you and others to work with your loved ones to prevent falls. Dementia care facilities like Lakeside Manor often have fall prevention teams or support services to help your loved one prevent this tragedy. Learn more about fall prevention strategies here.
Learn the Risk
When you have a dementia patient in your life, you need to learn all the risks. Falling is a significant risk. If they are in advanced care or in a care facility, that should alleviate a lot of your concerns. If not, there are ways to determine what your risks are, or what your loved one’s risks are.
One way to assess risk is to determine the potential risks in your surroundings, or in the surroundings of your loved one. Lessen opportunities for falling, or see where imbalance could take place. This may include installing bars in the bathroom or removing rugs that could lead to a fall. Keep floors clear of clutter, and sturdy things to hold when you are walking from one room to another.
Moving bedrooms to ground level is a common way to reduce the risks of falls. There are ways this move can be made as affordable as possible. You may also want to talk to your doctor, or the doctor of your loved one, to have a fall assessment completed in the home.
Try Body Strengthening
Body strengthening exercises aren’t invasive or intense for elderly or dementia patients. You can try implementing basic stretching every day to strengthen and tone muscles that will help them to prevent falls. One study tried Tai Ji Quan on dementia patients with some success. It found that Tai Ji Quan can be used as a fall prevention strategy, in-home, in a care facility, and in real-time. Many dementia patients tried it using Zoom.
Local Alzheimer’s Association chapters may also provide falls prevention assessment and strength training. Many of these movement sessions will focus on stimulating the mind of the patient as well as strengthening their core muscle groups.
Long walks with your loved one, or on your own if you are seeking falls prevention, help as well. Any chance that a dementia patient can get to keep their muscles and blood pumping works, and it does not have to be strenuous.
Seek Long Term Care
A sure way to ensure that you or a loved one can prevent falls is to seek long-term care. An at-home worker is helpful, but can’t be there all the time. If you are seriously worried about a loved one falling, or are worried that you could injure yourself tragically, long-term care like Lakeside Manor is a solution.
This is a solution that brings a team-oriented approach to your health care 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It is often much more affordable than home improvements or other care services. Look into this as an option today, and you’ll have peace of mind when it comes to strategies to prevent falls with dementia.