Fall prevention and your parents

[bbhero]

All right guys... Let's be candid here. Our parents are getting older has are we. I want to go over some keys to help keep your parents from having a bad fall. Falls and complications from those falls lead to many deaths in this world we live in. I have witnessed this first hand.

1) NO throw rugs around. These lead to falls many times over.

2) Steps... IF there is anyway to remove steps... DO it. Ramps are much preferable than steps. An electric lift is much better than steps. My step father bought a lightly used electric lift that costs about 2k dollars. This lift was over 5k dollars brand new. This is a great idea to help get into a house with an attached garage. Spend the money if you have it.

3) Know your parents medications and make sure they are taking the correct dosages. Taking too much of blood pressure medications, pain medication, or anti anxiety medication can cause great problems with ambulation.

4) Reinforce your to your parents to use assistive devices... A walker or cane can make all the difference if someone starts to lose their balance.

5) Make sure your family members are eating and DRINKING enough. We all become a bit more clumsy if we get dehydrated or our blood glucose is lower than it should be. I find that our older adults have a hard time drinking enough water especially. Buy good water if need be. If the tap water is not up to par then pay extra for better water. Have protein protein snacks around when your parents need a snack.

6) Get your parents a call pendent. If they fall and are oriented enough to hit the button this could well save their life. I had a firmer Co worker who wasn't all that old who fell and broke her hip. She lost 5 qts of blood. If it had been longer she would have not made it. Get a rescue pendent.

7) Realistically assess your parents abilities. Can they really do for themselves?? Are they really safe walking around their home?? If not then get assistance for them. This is not an easy circumstance by any measure. But take real time and put real thought into it. It could help them live longer on their own and make their last days and years much better for them and you.

I have seen people pass away as a result of a fall. It is tough. I was in the bathroom of 102 yr old patient of mine about a month ago. I moved his wheelchair closer behind him. He didn't know I was there. He did what he needed to do. Pulled his pants up, then lost his balance and started to fall backwards. I caught him and gently lowered him into his wheelchair. He was quite relieved needless to say. I was so glad to have been there. I am very vigilant about rounding on my people. Mostly for fall prevention. I would rather they pass on in their sleep than have a terrible fall and break bones which is quite painful obviously. I have one patient who is 110 yrs old. You all know where I park my cart when I'm on her floor?? Right outside of her door. To have my eyes and ears on her. And yes, I have caught her a number of times almost in a bad spot with her wheelchair. She will pass on at some point for sure. I would just rather it be in her sleep.

I hope that you all have a good day today. And Happy Easter.

 

[spasm3]

Great advice, thanks!

The mortality for hip fractures is close to 50% within a year for people over 65.

 

[Shannow]

Good reminder...as we ALL aren't as young or as agile as we used to be.

A former workmate died a few weeks age, a couple months off retirement, cleaning out his gutters...something that he'd done many many times previously...as our skills deteriorate, sometimes the learning experience is the last one.

(and we don't heal as fast as we used to either).

Skeletal fluorosis , one could almost consider as part of the plan also.

 

[larryinnewyork]

Great advise. Thank you.

My parents are both gone, but I have Aunts and Uncles in their 80's.
After going thru the whole ordeal with my parents, I can talk to my elderly relatives and know what their needs are.
I can look at the situation from a different perspective than their children.

Add to your list:
1) Hand-railings
2) Non-slip surface in bathtub / shower
3) Night-lights in Bathroom, Hallway

Happy Easter to all.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
All right guys... Let's be candid here.

Sounds fun-I'll play along and be as candid as you request.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
1) NO throw rugs around. These lead to falls many times over.

Never bothered my parents who both lived into their 90's. They don't bother either my wife nor myself, both of us are in our 70's. Mom would have had a fit if you got rid of her rugs at the back door, where dad (and the rest of us) had to remove our shoes before walking on her clean floors.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
2) Steps... IF there is anyway to remove steps... DO it.

Again, it's something we never had a problem with, nor did my parents. Both my wife and I, when we go somewhere in a building that has elevators, take the stairs whenever possible (good exercise). My parents bedroom was on the second floor of the farmhouse where they lived, and they never had a problem with the flight of stairs-rather than live in fear of stairs they walked up and down them several times each day. No problem with the stairs at the back door or front door of their house or our house.

I can't imagine any health care "professional" recommending that their patients shun exercise, no matter what the patients age or condition.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
3) Know your parents medications and make sure they are taking the correct dosages. Taking too much of blood pressure medications, pain medication, or anti anxiety medication can cause great problems with ambulation.

Neither of us take any doctor prescribed dope and neither did my parents. We also take what doctors say with a grain of salt, since both my parents and my wife and I are healthier and longer lived than most doctors and so called "health care professionals".

Originally Posted By: bbhero
4) Reinforce your to your parents to use assistive devices... A walker or cane can make all the difference if someone starts to lose their balance.

If you tried to give my dad an "assitive device", he would have laughed at you and told you right where you could put your "assistive device".

Originally Posted By: bbhero
5) Make sure your family members are eating and DRINKING enough.

No problem at all.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
6) Get your parents a call pendent.

Dad would have thrown it on the ground and ran over it with the tractor on his way out to do some field work. Mom would have politely thanked you for your needless concern and when you left, she would have put it in the garbage. They would have had a good laugh about it at the dinner table that evening.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
7) Realistically assess your parents abilities. Can they really do for themselves?? Are they really safe walking around their home?? If not then get assistance for them. This is not an easy circumstance by any measure. But take real time and put real thought into it. It could help them live longer on their own and make their last days and years much better for them and you.

My parents never needed anyone to babysit them. Neither my wife nor I have that need or ever will. If I ever am in a position where, for some reason I can't take care of myself, then my time is over. In no way would having someone "assist" us be an asset. But then the health care profession has a rather myopic viewpoint about people being self-sufficient and in charge of their own lives. We refuse to wrap ourselves in the bubble of protection from life that some "health care professionals" claim we should. We eat right, exercise a lot, sleep well at night, and don't fear living life to its fullest even as we grow older.

Both my parents were extremely healthy-dad worked on the farm his entire life, and was working the day before he died at 94. My wife and I are both extremely healthy, and similar to my parents, we work and exercise every day to keep ourselves healthy. If we listened to "health care professionals", at our age we should be hiding from throw rugs, shunning stairs, fretting over medications, using "assistive devices" and wearing call pendants. Instead we choose to keep ourselves healthy, keep ourselves active, and not buy into the health care professionals notion that we somehow need them to babysit us. It must be deflating to those health care professional's egos when we just chuckle and keep ourselves busy.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
I hope that you all have a good day today. And Happy Easter.


We have a 40 mile bike ride planned. I suggest you get out and do something similar to keep yourself physically fit-otherwise when you get to our age you'll spend your time being afraid of throw rugs and stairs, using loads of doctor prescribed dope, stumbling around with an "assistive device", and afraid to wake up in the morning without your call pendant.

 

[simple_gifts]

Thanks for that; my mother took a fall on Thursday, seems to be her 3rd or 4th in the last 5 years. She is ok.

To expound on #4. Even if they use assist devices, stress to them that moving about is a deliberative and conscious act. Some of my mother's falls have occurred even tho she is using a walker; best guess is she has a cordless phone or coffee cup in one of her hands because i have seen her do that in the past.

edit: I guess Pop didn't realize this advice was for all BITOG'rs, not specifically for him.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: bbhero
All right guys... Let's be candid here.

Sounds fun-I'll play along and be as candid as you request.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
1) NO throw rugs around. These lead to falls many times over.

Never bothered my parents who both lived into their 90's. They don't bother either my wife nor myself, both of us are in our 70's. Mom would have had a fit if you got rid of her rugs at the back door, where dad (and the rest of us) had to remove our shoes before walking on her clean floors.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
2) Steps... IF there is anyway to remove steps... DO it.

Again, it's something we never had a problem with, nor did my parents. Both my wife and I, when we go somewhere in a building that has elevators, take the stairs whenever possible (good exercise). My parents bedroom was on the second floor of the farmhouse where they lived, and they never had a problem with the flight of stairs-rather than live in fear of stairs they walked up and down them several times each day. No problem with the stairs at the back door or front door of their house or our house.

I can't imagine any health care "professional" recommending that their patients shun exercise, no matter what the patients age or condition.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
3) Know your parents medications and make sure they are taking the correct dosages. Taking too much of blood pressure medications, pain medication, or anti anxiety medication can cause great problems with ambulation.

Neither of us take any doctor prescribed dope and neither did my parents. We also take what doctors say with a grain of salt, since both my parents and my wife and I are healthier and longer lived than most doctors and so called "health care professionals".

Originally Posted By: bbhero
4) Reinforce your to your parents to use assistive devices... A walker or cane can make all the difference if someone starts to lose their balance.

If you tried to give my dad an "assitive device", he would have laughed at you and told you right where you could put your "assistive device".

Originally Posted By: bbhero
5) Make sure your family members are eating and DRINKING enough.

No problem at all.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
6) Get your parents a call pendent.

Dad would have thrown it on the ground and ran over it with the tractor on his way out to do some field work. Mom would have politely thanked you for your needless concern and when you left, she would have put it in the garbage. They would have had a good laugh about it at the dinner table that evening.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
7) Realistically assess your parents abilities. Can they really do for themselves?? Are they really safe walking around their home?? If not then get assistance for them. This is not an easy circumstance by any measure. But take real time and put real thought into it. It could help them live longer on their own and make their last days and years much better for them and you.

My parents never needed anyone to babysit them. Neither my wife nor I have that need or ever will. If I ever am in a position where, for some reason I can't take care of myself, then my time is over. In no way would having someone "assist" us be an asset. But then the health care profession has a rather myopic viewpoint about people being self-sufficient and in charge of their own lives. We refuse to wrap ourselves in the bubble of protection from life that some "health care professionals" claim we should. We eat right, exercise a lot, sleep well at night, and don't fear living life to its fullest even as we grow older.

Both my parents were extremely healthy-dad worked on the farm his entire life, and was working the day before he died at 94. My wife and I are both extremely healthy, and similar to my parents, we work and exercise every day to keep ourselves healthy. If we listened to "health care professionals", at our age we should be hiding from throw rugs, shunning stairs, fretting over medications, using "assistive devices" and wearing call pendants. Instead we choose to keep ourselves healthy, keep ourselves active, and not buy into the health care professionals notion that we somehow need them to babysit us. It must be deflating to those health care professional's egos when we just chuckle and keep ourselves busy.

Originally Posted By: bbhero
I hope that you all have a good day today. And Happy Easter.


We have a 40 mile bike ride planned. I suggest you get out and do something similar to keep yourself physically fit-otherwise when you get to our age you'll spend your time being afraid of throw rugs and stairs, using loads of doctor prescribed dope, stumbling around with an "assistive device", and afraid to wake up in the morning without your call pendant.


I was going to say, never bothered my grandparents, my great aunt and uncle, and the great grandmother I knew. All lived into their 90s, all lived on their own until the end. Heck, my grandfather shoveled snow and mowed the grass and whatnot until he passed.

But others may not be so lucky. Hip breakage can happen to older folks, as can bone density loss, etc. some folks lose eyesight, some get cancer, some have lingering injury, etc.


Im all for simple self-reliance and assurance that people are looking out for themselves, even when elderly. No way do I advocate installing ramps or lifts. "Use it or lose it" applies here too...

But many of these items are reasonable, common sense precautions, and some of the more extreme ones are still relevant, for some folks i some situations. No need to poo-poo them. Information is power. Laziness, sloth and lack of self care cause lots of ailments that are seen these days... but people still meet their maker at some point. But

 

[PimTac]

I've been through all this, both my parents are gone now.

One additional tip, have them set up a daily call to a friend or have their friend call them. It's let's them shoot the bull but also is a safety check. Leave instructions that if they don't answer to have them call you.

 

[philipp10]

My Dad used to say, when I get that old just take me out to the pasture and shoot me.....

 

[bbhero]

Christmas day 2003 my grandmother got killed in a car accident. Dead on scene. She never had any trouble that multitude face once over the age of 75. So, I guess pop she was very fortunate and that she lived a perfect life. But, in reality she did not. To go into her story would be a very long one.

You seem to like being keyboard commando and nasty in a very articulate way. The amount of talent that takes is admirable and in its own strange way impressive. It is people like yourself that prove the words in red are so hard to truly live out. Our nature is to lash out, respond in kind or worse, and to lower the behavioral bar even lower. You unwittingly are the great reminder to me that this world still posesses people that take trifling to a whole other new level. I respect your nastiness,world class talent, and penchant for being that way. It is quite impressive.

I am honored and blessed with taking care of people's grandparents, mother's, father's grandfather's, uncle's, sister's, brother's. It is a tremendous responsibility in which I am very grateful for.

 

[sleddriver]

Being a visual astronomer for so long, I've come to appreciate red light at night as it doesn't ruin night vision.

This can be useful for older people when they get up at night, can't see, thus turn on a light, ruin their night vision, stumble blinded to the bath/kitchen, turn off the light and take a bad fall on the way back.

The solution is a string of red LED Christmas lights. In the bathroom, a string can be loosely balled up behind/underneath the toilet and plugged in. It'll provide enough light to see while in there and also a 'target' while walking to & fro.

If a trip down a hall is necessary to get to the bath or kitchen, you can staple a string down the hall so as to not be a trip hazard. It'll provide enough light to see, without disturbing sleep patterns, illuminate hazards and prevent broken/stubbed toes.

LED light strings consume negligable Watts and can be left plugged in indefinitely.

 

[ammolab]

Originally Posted By: bbhero


6) Get your parents a call pendent. If they fall and are oriented enough to hit the button this could well save their life. I had a firmer Co worker who wasn't all that old who fell and broke her hip. She lost 5 qts of blood. If it had been longer she would have not made it. Get a rescue pendent.


Lost five QUARTS of blood? You must mean pints. The average 180lb person has less than 5qts of blood in their body.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Christmas day 2003 my grandmother got killed in a car accident. Dead on scene. She never had any trouble that multitude face once over the age of 75. So, I guess pop she was very fortunate and that she lived a perfect life. But, in reality she did not. To go into her story would be a very long one.

You seem to like being keyboard commando and nasty in a very articulate way. The amount of talent that takes is admirable and in its own strange way impressive. It is people like yourself that prove the words in red are so hard to truly live out. Our nature is to lash out, respond in kind or worse, and to lower the behavioral bar even lower. You unwittingly are the great reminder to me that this world still posesses people that take trifling to a whole other new level. I respect your nastiness,world class talent, and penchant for being that way. It is quite impressive.

I am honored and blessed with taking care of people's grandparents, mother's, father's grandfather's, uncle's, sister's, brother's. It is a tremendous responsibility in which I am very grateful for.


Illegitimi Non Carborundum

 

[Mr Nice]

bbhero,

Great advice. I need to install some slip resistant strips in my mom's bath tub so she doesn't slip and fall getting out after taking a bath.



Pop_Rivit,

When you get older, what do you tell your family members (kids and grandkids) if they want to help you because you are immobile and can't walk anymore ?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
But others may not be so lucky. Hip breakage can happen to older folks, as can bone density loss, etc. some folks lose eyesight, some get cancer, some have lingering injury, etc.

This exactly, Pop's curmudgeonly rant aside. Some people as they get old, unfortunately, no matter how much they exercise or eat properly, can avoid medications, mobility issues, senility, and so forth.

Taking care of oneself definitely helps. But, wearing your seatbelt doesn't make you immortal in a car. And exercise and good eating will only get you so far if your genes are against you.

 

[Jarlaxle]

My uncle's father finally hired someone to replace a fence. He did half of it himself last year...but decided that he would rather ride his Goldwing than dig post holes. He is 83 in June.

He and my uncle plan to celebrate his 83rd birthday with a 50cc Iron Butt ride. (Hilton Head to San Diego in 50 hours.)