Prevention of falls for seniors

Do you know that nearly fifty percent of the falls experienced by seniors take place in the home itself? Because of this high rate, care should be taken to avoid your own senior from becoming a victim. Follow the suggestions which I will list below to help in the prevention of falls for seniors in the house.
With aging, the risk for falling increases because their senses dim and nervous systems tends to deteriorate. Elderly people often suffer from weakened vision and the balance mechanism in their ears becomes less accurate. The sedentary lifestyle of theirs may lead to muscle loss, thereby leading to falls. In seniors, even a minor fall may at times lead to fractured bones.
Now without beating about the bush, let us divert our attention on how to make our home a safe to live in place for seniors:

• Bathroom: This is a risk prone place! A lot of falls usually take place in the bathroom because of its nature to become wet easily. It is then necessary and advisable to set up bath benches in the bathroom so that seniors are at a lower risk of slipping. Also arrange for toilet risers, toilet safety frames, grab bars and tub and shower treads. The bottom line is that the bathroom should be made slip-proof. Adding steady support in case of slippery situations is very necessary. Non-slip strips need to be installed on the shower floor or tub. In addition to this, non-skid mats need to be placed on the floors of the bathroom. Grab bars are also necessary for balance.
• Falls among seniors can also be a result of dim light or poor vision, particularly in areas such as basements and stairways. So how can one avoid that? Well, the first step lies in installing brighter light bulbs throughout your house. Better to opt for bulbs with greater longevity for economic and safety reasons. Opt for bright lights for your bedrooms, bathrooms, stairwells and hallways. While new fluorescent bulbs may have a greater longevity as compared to the conventional incandescents, many people do not like the lights they deliver.
• Go for motion-sensor switches which turn on lights automatically while entering an area. You can also go for light switches which glow; hence making their visibility easier during the dark.
• Night lights should be installed close to the floor to lower the chances of falling or tripping while paying a visit to the bathroom during the nighttime.
• Another way through which you can help seniors from tripping is by making hallways, stairs and walkways free of objects. Sometimes even small pieces of papers can cause a fall especially if their surface is slippery.