July 14, 2011
As with most in-home care issues, the first step should be assessment. Identifying potential environmental and personal hazards for falls is as easy as looking around the home and observing your loved one. Continuum has compiled a quick checklist to help determine if your loved one’s home could benefit from any safety modifications. Each “no” answer in the below survey indicates that a change in one’s home or habits should be considered.
- Does he take time to regain his balance when sitting up or standing up?
- Do both his shoes and slippers have soles that provide traction?
- Are her bathrobes or dresses free of long cords or ties?
- Is she steady on her feet?
- If he feels dizzy every now and then, does he use a cane or walker?
- When he carries bulky packages, does he make sure they do not restrict his view of where he is walking?
- Does she ask for help when she could use it to avoid a fall?
- Does she avoid rushing to answer the doorbell or cross a street, espcially in slippery weather conditions?
- If he must reach a high place, does he ask for help or if he is steady enough, always use a step stool rather than a chair to stand on?
- Can he turn on a light without first having to walk into a dark room?
- Are his chairs and tables stable enough to support his weight if he leans on them?
- Does she use non-skid wax or no wax on her floors?
- Are walkways kept free of clutter and cords?
- Are her glasses the right prescription or has she gotten her eyes checked recently?
- Does he allow time for his eyes to adapt to changes in lighting?
- Does he go out alone in the dark if his vision is poor?
- Does he understand the side effects of all of his medications?
- Does she have grab bars, hand rails and a non-skid mat in her bathroom and tub?
- Does she have handrails on all of her stairways?
- Does she have nightlights to guide her way to the bathroom at night?