How Modern Care and Technology are Revolutionizing Fall Prevention for the Elderly

At a certain age, quality of life can take an abrupt and permanent turn under the right circumstances. When someone in their 70s or 80s takes a fall, it can permanently change their mobility. Unfortunately, this often marks the end of their life as an autonomous adult.

Fortunately, medical treatments and interventions are limiting falls and treating them more effectively when they do take place. In this article, we take a look at what modern elderly care does to prevent and correct patient falls.

Who administers elder care?

The majority of home health services are delivered by nurses and home healthcare professionals. Nurses provide medical-based interventions where home help professionals might focus more on day-to-day tasks like assisting the patient when it comes time for medication and hygienic needs.

That said, when someone experiences a significant fall that requires medical intervention, it is a team of nurses and doctors who will answer the call.

Nursing is a difficult profession, requiring a combination of soft skills (communication, time management, task prioritization) and hard skills. Medical knowledge. Keen recollection. Manual dexterity.

Home Modifications

Simple adjustments made around the home can significantly reduce the likelihood of falls. They can also enhance a patient’s mobility if they are recovering from a fall.

Mary Jane Miskovsky, DNP, CRNP, NP-C, associate professor and coordinator of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner programs at Wilkes University says, “Modification around the home such as handrails on both sides of stairs, good lighting, motion activated lights, clutter-free areas, throw rugs removed that are not firmly fixed to the floor, and floors free of water can prevent falls. There are also adjustments in bathrooms that can make them safer: grab bars near the toilet and inside and outside of the tub and shower, night light, and non-skid mats in wet areas.”

Some of these additions can be accomplished with nothing more than basic supplies found at a hardware store and installed with a power drill. If you are the loved one of an elderly person, consider speaking with their doctors or caregivers about what basic harm modifications would help reduce their risk of falling. You may find that you can significantly improve their safety while spending less than $100 to do it.

On the more elaborate end of the spectrum, there are also entire product lines dedicated to making common features more accessible to people with mobility issues.

For example, handicapped showers are designed to make it easier for people who need extra support bathing by themselves. These units are customizable and can include handrails, seats, and accessibility via wheelchairs.

There are also stair lifts that make homes with staircases safer for people who are fall risks.

Lifestyle Modifications

The healthier a person is the less likely they are to fall. Healthy patients who do fall are also more likely to recover quickly and effectively. Exercise strengthens both your muscle and bone density, making it less likely that you will experience significant physical trauma in the event of a fall.

According to Deborah Jehu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health Sciences at Augusta University, “Falls are oftentimes multifactorial. There are seven different domains of fall risk: balance and mobility; 2) environmental; 3) psychological; 4) medical; 5) medication; 6) sensory and neuromuscular; and 7) sociodemographic. Older adults may have a greater risk for falls in one or more of these domains. Therefore, an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals working together to individualize fall prevention interventions may be needed.”

Insurance programs will sometimes cover preventative exercise treatments, knowing that the sessions with the trainer will cost significantly less than corrective surgery.

IoT

Internet of Things technology makes it easier to remotely monitor elderly patients. While this might not directly reduce the risk of a fall, it can increase the odds that an accident will be addressed in a timely manner. We have all heard the sad story of the eighty-year-old widow who falls in the kitchen and lies on the floor for three days before anyone discovers her.

These situations are more preventable than ever with IoT technology, and other devices that allow a person to instantly give status updates.

For those who are unfamiliar, IoT devices can include anything that connects a physical object to the internet. For example, a heart monitor that can accessed through your phone is a common wearable, IoT-powered medical device.

Distress buttons are another example. These devices allow elderly patients to hit distress signals the moment they fall, getting immediate access to help.

Naturally, the proliferation of smartphone technology is also beneficial to this end. Today’s octogenarian population will have had more than thirty years of exposure to cell phone technology, making them more likely to have cell phones on hand at all times.

This, coupled with other technological breakthroughs, can significantly help reduce the likelihood of life-changing accidents at home.

Conclusion

Home health technology is a great way to keep elderly patients safe and autonomous for as long as possible. The other important ingredient? Dedicated healthcare professionals. Ongoing nursing shortages don’t just make it harder for hospitals to manage their resources. They also have a direct and negative impact on patient care.

Healthcare networks that can’t staff hospital floors also usually won’t have enough professionals in circulation to provide robust at-home support to everyone who needs it.

Another issue? Financial barriers. High-quality and comprehensive senior care is extremely expensive, and often not covered by average insurance plans.

To work on this latter problem, legislative action is required. If you are passionate about healthcare accessibility, consider looking into ways you can volunteer with advocacy groups in your community.

There may be money drives and get-out-to-vote initiatives that need additional support.

You can also lend a hand professionally by becoming a nurse. If you are interested in this rich, rewarding career path, start by looking into online and physical programs that can equip you with the skills you need while meeting your lifestyle requirements.