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What Should Seniors Do After a Fall?

Home Care in Memorial TX: Knowing what to do after a fall is an important part of any fall prevention plan, because that helps seniors feel prepared.
Home Care in Memorial TX
Home Care in Memorial TX

A fall can be incredibly frightening for seniors and the family members who love them. Knowing what to do right after a fall can help seniors get back up again without worrying that they’re going to fall again soon. Learning what to do is actually something that seniors and family caregivers can include in their fall prevention plans, and home care services can help.

Assess the Situation

It’s human nature to be scared and shocked that someone has just fallen, but it’s so important for anyone who is there with the person who fell to stay calm. Start by asking if they’re hurt and if they can get up on their own without assistance. If they’re not sure, the next step is to check for any possible injuries or make sure that they’re conscious. Extreme pain or serious injuries mean that seniors may need medical attention immediately.

Stay Hydrated and Consider Eating Something

Sometimes a fall happens because blood sugar is too low or seniors are dehydrated. Both of these situations are easy to correct right after a fall, and it can be soothing to sip something like water or even hot tea while nibbling a cracker with some peanut butter. Offering seniors some water and a snack that has some protein and fiber can help them to feel more stable as they recover from the fall.

Look for Behavioral Changes

Big behavioral changes can be a sign that seniors have experienced head trauma during their fall. Noticing these changes quickly can help them to get medical attention they might need. Spending a few minutes calmly talking while recovering after the fall helps in assessing what might be going on.

Watch for Injuries

Some injuries aren’t apparent right away. Seniors might develop bruises or notice small cuts well after the fall. As adrenaline wears off, they may mention muscle pain or stiffness that they didn’t notice right away. Sprains and even fractures can be common after seniors experience a fall.

Get Additional Help if Seniors Show Signs of Trouble

Figuring out why seniors fall helps families to understand what might be going on for aging adults on a regular basis. Seniors may be at a stage where they need additional help from senior care providers, so it’s important to notice other details. Are they having more trouble with daily tasks or showing signs of mobility issues? There might be more going on.

Look for a Solution Afterward

Recovery after a fall can be tricky, depending on whether seniors experience an injury or simply need to emotionally recover from the worry and fear that a fall can inspire. Finding a solution after the fall to help prevent future injuries and potential falls is a group effort. Home care services can offer a lot of help with this, assessing needs with families and helping them to create fall prevention plans.

Responding properly after a fall, or even a near miss of a fall, helps aging adults and family caregivers put prevention strategies in place. Home care providers can can help families see areas that they might have overlooked and offer support on a daily basis with hands-on needs.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Memorial, TX for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.

At Your Side Home Care, provides exceptional home care assistance for seniors and families in Houston, West Houston, Katy, Memorial, The Heights, Spring Valley, Garden Oaks, Hunters Creek, River Oaks, Hilshire Village, Galleria, Cinco Ranch, Spring Branch, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenburg, Piney Point, Bay City and surrounding areas.

Donna Wrabel, LMSW

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