While many falls happen in the bathroom and kitchen, that doesn’t mean the bedroom is a safe place. Older adults can be just as much at risk in their bedroom as they are in other rooms of the home. Bedroom safety is equally important when you’re looking over the rooms in the home for safety issues.
Is the Bed Too High or Too Low?
If a bed is too high and your parent falls off while turning over, injuries are possible. A bed rail can help prevent this type of fall, but your mom or dad may not like sleeping with a bed rail.
When the bed is too low to the ground, it can be hard to stand up in the morning. Exercises to strengthen leg muscles will help, but a proper bed height is best.
Your mom and dad should have a bed that is high enough they can sit down with ease. When they’re sitting, their feet should be flat on the floor. The knees should be level with their hips. For most older adults, a bed that is between 20 and 23 inches from floor to the top of the mattress is ideal.
Are Any Furnishings in the Path to the Bathroom?
In the dark of night, what route would your mom and dad take to get to the bathroom? Are any furnishings in their way?
If there’s a dresser that sticks out slightly, it could catch a toe and cause a fall. If there’s a chair with a club foot that juts out, that also poses a hazard. Furnishings and throw rugs need to be well away from the typical path your parents take to get to the bathroom.
How Dark is it at Night?
A trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night can be dangerous. To start with your parent is still sleepy and less likely to be alert to potential hazards. Plus, when they get to the bathroom, turning on the lights will bring your parent to a more wakeful state, which makes it harder to get back to sleep after.
Adding motion-detection lighting or nightlights helps illuminate the way to the bathroom. Nightlights or floor level lights that can be tapped on with a toe will keep the light away from the eyes. It makes it easier to go back to sleep after.
If your mom or dad has fallen once, it increases the risk of falling again. While older adults have a higher risk of a fall, there are things that can be done to lower that risk. Diet and exercise are two of them. You can make sure they’re doing their daily exercises and eating a proper diet by hiring senior care services.
Senior care aides can also offer support while your parent walks up and down the stairs, gets out of bed, or gets in and out of the shower. Call a senior care agency to arrange these services.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Care in Cranford, NJ or the surrounding areas please contact the caring staff at Perfect Touch Home Care Firm today! (908) 469-2701
About Mildrene Volcy
Mildrene Volcy is the Owner at Perfect Touch Home Care Firm in Elizabeth, NJ. In 2013, Perfect Touch Home Care Firm was established to serve our communities and provide life-enhancing home care services to those who need care and companionship. Our home health care agency makes the patient the center of our care practice. We make it easy for persons who wish to stay at home in their preferred habitat to arrange available services in an easy, dependable, and respectful way. Our team of Certified Licensed Home Health Aides meets and follows the highest standards of integrity, compassion, and dedication to caring for those in need. We even offer professional staffing services for personal and agency needs. Following industry standards, our home health aides and nursing staff can be counted on for various service requirements.