If you have someone you love who’s living with arthritis, you know how some activities can be more difficult for your loved one than most of us give a second thought to. Those limitations can make it difficult for them to manage a home on their own easily and safely. Companion care at home services can help.
Why Arthritis Can Make Falls More Likely for the Elderly
A fall can occur anywhere, and it can often happen more easily for those with arthritis in key support areas, such as the ankles, knees, or hips. Arthritis makes it difficult for them to make a quick adjustment to balance if something suddenly happens to their center of balance.
Arthritis can also make it difficult to use common assistive devices to their full potential. For example, someone with an arthritic hand might have a railing by the stairs, but they might not be able to grip it well enough to hold themselves up if their foot lands badly on a step.
Using fall prevention tips like the ones below and getting help from a companion care at home agency can greatly aid in the support and safety of aging loved ones.
Six Fall Prevention Steps
You can’t foresee the future or know what exactly may cause a problem for your loved one, but there are key areas in their home that you can preemptively add support and remove obstacles to lessen the likelihood of a fall.
- The bathtub/shower area can be a dangerous area for someone who struggles with arthritis. Look at adding non-slip matting, a shower stool to sit on, and sturdy grab bars.
- The flooring of the bathroom can also lead to falls if it becomes slick or moist due to too much moisture in the room. Make sure vents work adequately to remove steam as your loved one showers, and make sure all floor mats are flat against the linoleum.
- Look at adding support around the toilet or installing a different type of toilet with a higher seat if arthritis makes it difficult for your loved one to squat and get back up easily.
- On stairways, make sure railings are secured well and the right height for your loved one to use easily. A wide banister might look great, but it can be difficult to grasp if your loved one’s balance is shaken.
- If the stairs around the home are wood or linoleum, consider adding anti-slip mats to the steps to prevent your loved one’s feet from sliding out from under them. Encourage them to keep shoes on around the home, and only wear slippers that have good soles that won’t slide on smooth surfaces.
- In the kitchen, keep all items within reach so your loved one doesn’t feel tempted to climb up on a step stool to grab a heavy pot, only to have their wrist give out and cause them and the pot to come tumbling down.
Companion Care at Home Providers Can Help at Home
Some chores around the home may become too difficult and create too big a risk of falling, such as carrying laundry upstairs or bringing out the garbage. Companion care at home providers can step in and assist with chores and even personal care tasks that may put your loved one at risk of falling.
From helping prepare meals to going on walks with them in the neighborhood, companion care at home professionals offer one more measure of safety toward helping your loved one live independently without the fear of injury.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at Home in Lansdowne, PA, please contact the caring staff at Better Care Home Health Services today at (267) 766-5218
Better Care Home Health Services is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Philadelphia, Germantown, Glenside, Elkins Park, Bryn Mawr, Roxborough, Wyncote, Broomall, Upper Darby, Yeadon, Lansdowne, Narberth, Wynnewood, Penn Wynne, Fairmount, Ardmore, Chestnut Hill, and the surrounding areas.
Better Care Home Health Services is a family-owned agency dedicated to providing excellent and comprehensive home health care to individuals and families of Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties. We are honored that God has blessed us with the opportunity to positively impact and change people’s lives. It is our mission to ensure that we provide the very best of care to our clients.
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