The call you receive when a loved one has fallen and injured themselves can be one of the most difficult to hear. Your mind begins to race. How badly were they injured? Were they able to receive assistance right away or did they have to wait for somebody to find them? What will be the road to recovery and how will they handle it?
All of those things will likely race through your mind when you get a call that a loved one has fallen. It is completely normal to have those thoughts. Here are a few of our thoughts, tips, and insights to help aid you in the process of a loved one that has fallen for the first time or multiple times.
Don’t Ignore the First Fall
As a caregiver, it seems almost silly to have to say that out loud. At Senior Living Specialists we have seen people deny that their loved one has an issue with falling. They ignored the importance of the first fall because the loved one wasn’t injured or the caregiver is trying to mentally deny the stage of care their loved one is in.
All of these things are normal. You will need to prepare for this though so when the first fall does happen, you jump into the right course of action. Don’t ignore the issue of the fall and write it off as a one-time occurrence. Evaluate their injuries and current level of care to determine if they have everything prepared in the case of future falls.
What Should You Ask the Doctor?
If falls are becoming a reality for your loved one, you can be more prepared in how to communicate with their doctor about it. If you have noticed your loved one struggles at times when going from a sitting to standing position, ask their doctor to take blood pressure and pulse readings. Have them do this in both sitting and standing positions.
Medications and the level of each medication can often change as a loved one ages and their physical well-being changes over the years. If you notice balance issues or falling has become common with your loved one, ask the doctor to review their ALL of their medications. Encourage them to look for any combinations or dosages that might have an effect on their balance.
Try to Bridge Care Gaps Now
If your loved one has had a common occurrence of falls, then you should start looking at care facilities that offer rehab on-site. We don’t want to assume that a loved one will injure themselves but if falling occurs, injuries might too.
Having an on-site rehab facility can make traveling and transitions between care levels easier if falls become common.
Senior Living Specialists can help you throughout all of these stages and provide insights to help you during the process.
