It’s no secret that all throughout Canada, senior citizens are experiencing slips and falls that lead to hospitalizations. On many occasions, the Advantage Home Health Solutions Blog has noted that falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 and older in our country. Of course, this isn’t a problem exclusive to Canada. It’s widely known that, with age, mobility and balance decreases for everyone.
So what can we do to keep seniors on their feet? You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that exercise is a key ingredient to senior safety. The more you’re able to encourage your elderly loved ones to remain active, the more likely they will be in maintaining and improving the type of strength necessary to stay upright. Ensuring senior safety, however, requires a few other ingredients.
Ingredient #1: Music.
Now, how exactly can music help to ensure senior safety? Well, as mentioned, an active senior is a stronger senior. Light exercises such as short walks are integral parts of maintaining health in our older years. However, playing music in the home can encourage a little dancing. As the U.K.’s Prestige Nursing + Care points out, dancing and stretching can improve balance.
“For people at risk of falls, perhaps with weak legs, or poor coordination, a much better alternative on good movement days is to enjoy some light exercise activity that specifically targets balance and coordination,” says their website, “The gentle breathing and stretching of Tai Chi for example, or even just some gentle dancing in the living room can really boost your mood as well as brain function.”
Ingredient #2: The Right Shoes.
In an effort to minimize the risk of slips and falls in your home, we often champion the act of clearing any and all tripping hazards. They include any obstructions on your stairways, cords and wires in the living room and throw rugs in the bathroom or other areas. However, it’s vital that your elderly loved one is fitted with the appropriate footwear. Ensuring maximum comfort and correctly-sized shoes is of paramount importance when trying to keep seniors from falling.
“The importance of investing in comfortable shoes that fit properly cannot be overstated,” insists Belgium’s Stannah Stairlifts, “Cheap shoes with worn-out tread can impede mobility and become a hazard for the elderly.”
Ingredient #3: Nutritious foods.
This should come as no surprise to you. Never forget that healthy eating is vital to the overall health of people of all ages. A nutritious diet is a great way to help a senior maintain strength. Naturally, this involves regular doses of fruits and vegetables.
“Without the proper fuel and vitamin/mineral intake, any kind of physical activity will prove harder to begin and certainly more difficult to maintain for longer than a few minutes without fatigue setting in,” notes Prestige Nursing + Care, “This is important for people with reduced mobility because their lack of regular movement will often leave them with a severely reduced appetite.”
Ingredient #4: Mobility devices.
Advantage Home Health Solutions has a wide variety of high-quality mobility solutions to allow seniors to travel greater distances without the physical costs that are associated with mobility issues. They include walkers, rollators, wheelchairs and scooters. For more information, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
