Add Lighting to Prevent Senior Falls

The last week of August is National Safe at Home Week. This can mean many things to many people, but if you are a caregiver of an elderly loved one who is living independently in her home, staying safe at home may mean preventing falls.

Fall Risks Increase as we age

The reasons why your elderly loved one is more at risk for falling are plentiful. It might be because of medications or treatments she is currently taking that affect her balance. It often occurs as reaction times slow down and she can’t respond quickly enough to adjust her center of balance. The best way to prevent a fall is to be proactive by creating an environment that makes falls less likely. While there are many areas to address, one way to prevent falls is to improve lighting.

Five Areas to Add Lighting to Reduce the Risk of Falls

Bathrooms

Those middle-of-the-night bathroom visits can be dangerous visits when your loved one can’t see where she’s going. Even if your loved one has lived in the same home for decades, being half-asleep can mean she won’t see that towel that fell off the hook. A small night light can keep the room lit up enough for her to see but not blind her with bright light.

Bedrooms

While it’s necessary to have a dark room while sleeping, a little extra night light tucked into an outlet can help your loved one if she needs to navigate the room in the middle of the night. If your loved one has a walk-in closet, consider reviewing the lighting in that room to make sure she can see well enough when picking out her favorite outfit.

Hallways

Hallways often harbor tripping hazards. Good lighting will help keep your loved one safe. Make sure all hallway lights have working lightbulbs. If they don’t, ask your home care assistance provider to help by changing any lightbulbs that have burned out. The light should be able to be turned on from either direction that your loved one enters that hallway so she doesn’t have to wait to get halfway through before turning it on.

Stairs

Whether they are the stairs heading up to the second floor or down to the basement, they need to be well-lit and not just rely on ambient light from other sources. Stairs get trickier to manage as your loved one ages, so they need to be well-lit and, have light switches on both the top and bottom of the stairs.

Entryways

Both the interior and exterior of any entryways should be well-lit to prevent tripping over hazards that naturally seem to block those areas like shoes, jackets, and shopping bags.

Home Care Assistance Can Help Reduce Fall Risk

Sometimes some areas of the home are naturally dark and hard to keep well-lit. If your loved one needs an item from an attic or basement corner, consider having her home care assistance team help her retrieve the items she desires, especially if it’s not just poorly lit, but also cluttered. A home care assistance provider can also help with carrying up laundry or bringing in groceries to help your loved one be able to focus on her feet and not the additional physical chores.

Lighting is just the first step in keeping the home safe for your senior.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care assistance in Rye, NY, please contact the caring staff at Griswold Home Care for Scarsdale & Yonkers today. (914) 337-5028.