Assisted Living Articles » Specific concerns
Is Assisted Living a good option for someone who is falling?
Falls are caused by many things. Physical frailty, energy level, hearing, sight, reactions to medications, disease, and illness all affect a person’s ability to be stable on their feet.
Assisted Living is a good option for someone who is at risk for falls, as the monitoring of someone who is physically frail is likely to be greater than if a person is living fully independently in their own home or apartment.
It is common for older adults to fall; particularly in the bathroom. And as eyesight and motor skills diminish, having a living space which is uncluttered and free of items such as decorative throw rugs will increase the safety of an older adult.
The positive side to Assisted Living is that there may be built in monitoring or alarm systems to solicit staff help more readily than if a person were living in their own home. The more challenging side to Assisted Living is that there may be larger square footage to walk and more space to fall. And yet, some people view the added square footage as a benefit to older adults, because it creates a need to get some exercise, even if it only means going to the mailbox, walking to a meal or attending an activity.
Depending upon the willingness of the health and wellness staff of a senior community, a person who has frequent falls may be welcome to stay, or they may be encouraged to accept additional services or monitoring. In some instances, the community may feel that a smaller setting with more vigilant attention may be a better match for an older adult.
Increased emphasis is being placed on giving older adults increased quality of life by balancing out the risk for fall with the desire for independence. More and more, our society is willing to tolerate a person being at risk for fall in return for having a higher level of independence. We are creating means through technology and through staffing to more quickly respond to falls when they occur.
It is a sad thing that some people in our society still place blame on a senior community for causing a fall. The reality of aging is that older adults fall. They’ve always fallen, and this will only increase as people continue to live longer. Our joints, our eyesight, our balance and our muscles all affect our ability to walk safely. Our culture is slow to embrace this fact. It wasn’t until quite recently (late 1990’s) that inventions such as three-footed walkers, wheeled walkers and motorized scooters were accepted by society. Just a decade ago, a cane was viewed as a sign of weakness in an individual, and senior communities blatantly discriminated against people with mobility issues. Today, we see a drastic departure from that way of thinking. Retirement and Assisted Living communities are filled with assistive devices, and the trend is to welcome these mobility aids rather than avoid them.
If a person is falling frequently, then a smaller living environment where assistance is within ear shot may be a better solution, or added technology can help monitor and report if a person has fallen. Falls may not be able to be avoided, but response time to an injury can be significantly faster.
Non-medical staff can not adequate assess injury from a fall, so they’re likely to call for medical assistance in the event of a fall. Retirement and Assisted Living staff can not eliminate all risk for falls, but they can react more quickly to a fall situation and notify medical professionals who can provide a medical assessment and attention to the injured senior.
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Last update: 2007-04-11 02:19
Author: Tech Support
Revision: 1.0
