Arthritis affects a large percentage of the population of the United States, including nearly 50 percent of senior adults aged 65 and older.
This condition can influence your parent’s functioning and quality of life in a wide variety of ways, but one in particular is increasing the chances that they will suffer a fall. This can not only lead to serious injuries, but it can also increase the potential for your parent to die within the next calendar year.
Reducing fall risk protects your senior from potentially devastating consequences and helps support a better quality of life as they age in place.
3 Tips for Reducing Fall Risk for Seniors with Arthritis
Use these tips to help reduce fall risk for your senior with arthritis.
1. Offer Emotional Support
Seniors dealing with arthritis sometimes feel that they are “whining” or “complaining”. They might feel as though what they are going through is not serious. This can lead to emotional consequences that then further reduce their activity levels.
Offer emotional support that encourages them to know they are not alone and what they are going through is real. This can boost them enough to encourage a more active lifestyle.
2. Encourage Them to Stay Active
Keeping the body strong, flexible, and healthy is critical to reducing fall risk for anyone, but is particularly pressing for those with arthritis. The less your parent moves, the more severe their arthritis symptoms.
Help them to engage in physical activity on a regular basis to keep their joints and muscles strong, flexible, and resilient.
Related Article: Exercises for Seniors with Arthritis
3. Modify Their Home
Something like going up the stairs can be extremely difficult for a senior living with arthritis.
Help them to modify their home to reduce the strain of daily activities and lessen the chances of a fall. This includes adding a stairlift so that they can get up and down the stairs safely, and supplying each room with a grabber so that your parent does not have to try to climb or reach to get things.
Related Article: Adapting Your Bathroom for Arthritis
Contact Care Options for Kids for Home Care Services
Starting elderly home care for your aging parent can be an exceptional way to boost their quality of life, support more activity and independence, and encourage greater health and well-being as they age in place.
For you as a family caregiver, an elderly home care services provider can offer additional benefits. The highly personalized services of a care provider can fill any care gaps that might exist in the efforts that you put forth for your parent, ensuring that all of their needs are met even if you have personal challenges and limitations that keep you from being able to fulfill them in the way that they need and deserve.
This can not only allow you to take a step back and handle other needs and obligations in your life, but also focus the energy and attention that you can give to your parent in the most effective and beneficial way possible. This can ease your stress and create a more meaningful and beneficial relationship for both of you.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services, contact the caring staff at Care Options for Kids. Call today (888) 592-5855.
Sources:
https://www.shellpoint.org/blog/10-shocking-statistics-about-elderly-falls/
https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/arthritis-related-stats.htm
