Incidents of Senior Falls

It was 6 AM the morning. Suddenly the doorbell rang. It was not a normal mundane ringing. There was some kind of chaos going on outside. Opening the door revealed my grandmother standing with blood all over her face and people from the locality holding her hand. One of the women from the crowd informed that she collapsed in the middle of the road. That was the beginning of what was coming. After a year she was totally bedridden. Then after a couple of years, it was when I saw her for the last time.

Our country is rated second in the world population. The percentage of senior people (60 and above) in our country is around 8% of the total population. Out of that 8%, which is about 77 million people, 51.5% of people have fallen and incurred severe damage.

Under these circumstances, it has to be us who can take the measures that can lower senior falls. First of all, look out for any kind of symptoms that can lead to falls such as vision problems, hallucination, weakening bones, joint pains, and issues with balance. The presence of any of these symptoms can lead to senior fall risk. The Following measures can reduce fall risk:

1. Taking care of any kind of medical condition that is already present.
2. Avoid any medication with side effects that can lead to falls.
3. Taking extra care of elders who already suffered injuries that lead to lower body weakness, vision disorder, and loss of limbs.
4. Having a thorough full body checkup every year.
5. Appointing home assistance for your elder family member.
6. Installing CCTV to keep an eye on your elder’s well-being.
7. Get proper lighting in your house.

Despite these measures, what will you do if your elder loved one falls?

First of all, do not panic. Call an expert or medical assistant if he or she cannot get up on his or her own. Apply first aid if there is any cut or bruises. Be careful with the joints. Take the above-mentioned precautions in the future. They are your loved ones and so are they to us.