Stair Lifts: An Important Tool for Preventing Falls

For elderly patients, there are many types of mobility aids and a number of different types of home medical equipment that can be used to improve safety and accessibility. When preventing senior falls, one of the most important areas of the home to address is the staircase, as this is the site of the most serious and common injuries. As such, a stair lift can be one of the most important tools for seniors and caregivers wishing to improve their ability to preform activities of daily life.

Preventing Senior Falls: Ensuring the Senior can Interact with Their Environment

Senior falls are very serious and often hard to recover from. In numerous studies, it has been found that recovering from a fall often requires the elderly to move to an assisted living facility, as well as causing a dramatic reduction in the ability to independently preform activities of daily life, such as bathing or cooking. Preventing these falls often starts at home, with attention paid to ensuring the living environment is safe and the senior is able to interact with their environment safely.

Deciding When to Buy a Stair Lift and When NOT to Buy a Stair Lift

Knowing when not to buy a stair lift is just as important as knowing when to buy a stair lift, if not more so.

Before buying a stair lift, it is very important to spend some time evaluating the ability of the senior to preform the activities of daily life(ADL), which include things like bathing, cooking, and general mobility. Further, it is also important to consider the condition of the staircase and only consider a piece of home medical equipment, such as a stair lift or elevator, after ensuring that it can be safely used and is the correct type of treatment to improve the accessibility of the home.

A Stair Lift Primer

There are many areas in a home that present a risk to the elderly, but in regards to falls, most serious elderly falls, such as those requiring hospitalization, occur on the stairs. Falls and serious injury pose a very serious health risk to seniors, as numerous studies have shown that it takes much longer for a senior to recover from an injury. One way that the safety of the stairs is increased is by using a stair lift, which is a special type of tool used to safely move a senior up and down the stairs.

Selecting the Right Type of Stairlift

The stairs are quite dangerous to seniors and the elderly, with the most serious senior falling accidents usually occurring on the staircase. Typically, a stair lift provides the most economical way to ensure that the staircase can safely be used by the senior, while still retaining most of their independence.

Choosing the right stair lift can seem a little overwhelming, but by spending some time learning about stair lifts and how they work, it is actually a very simple choice.

Increasing Staircase Safety A Step at A Time

Countless studies have found that the stairs are the area of the home that is most dangerous to seniors and the elderly. There are many reasons for this and it is often a combination of the condition of the staircase, coupled with the diminishing abilities of the senior. In a number of instances, diseases like arthritis can also make using the stairs much more difficult.

Not only are the stairs a very common source of injuries among the elderly, but seniors have a much harder time recovering from injuries, as well as also having a much higher risk of injury.

Helping to Reduce the Chance of a Senior Fall

Falls can be quite serious for those of any age, but the elderly is at most risk for an injury or health complications as the result of a fall. So, preventing senior falls becomes a very important consideration for any caregiver.

When preventing senior falls, it is important to identify and repair risk factors that could lead to a fall, while also evaluating the medical condition of the senior. However, often the risk factors are not black and white, so it is important to look at the home through the eyes of the senior.

Study Finds Seniors at Increased Risk for Complications During Hospitalization

In a recent study, published in the MedsBurg Nursing Journal, it was found that those over 65 are at a much higher risk of developing complications during hospitalizations that younger adults between the age of 16 and 44. This includes not only risks like falls, but also other medical issues, such as the development of ulcers and adverse reactions to anesthesia.

This study discusses these risks and also how they can be mediated and reduced. It is important to note that in addition to risks during hospitalization, the risk of complications post-hospitalization are also dramatically increased.

Preventing Senior Falls, the First Line of Defense

When trying to reduce the risk of a senior fall, all of the most expensive equipment in the world will not do any good, if you have not started at the front line and insured that the shoes of the senior are well made and designed to reduce the risk of a fall. The shoes, as well as a walker or cane, make up the first line of defense in preventing a fall. Without them, the risk of a fall is greatly increased, especially when away from the home.

Understanding and Evaluating the Abilities of a Senior

When you love someone, it is sometimes very easy to overlook their flaws and only see the good things. However, as we grow older, there are a number of risks that can crop up and overlooking them is a disservice to the loved one. This article primarily focuses on creating a safer stair environment, but first taking stock of the condition of the stairs and then the abilities of the senior. In practice, though, these principals can and should be applied to virtually all aspects of senior life.