Approved Fall female picElderly are at risk of falling and not being able to get help.  And most seniors cannot get up off of the floor after falling.  Falling leads to a hospital stay or worse, even death.  For your aging parent, have you improved the chances of them not falling at home? Have you done a home safety check? Many aging homes in Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Lewisville, Frisco, Highland Park, Allen, and McKinney are in denial of the visible safety concerns in clear sight.  It is important to remove floor runners, electrical cords, replace smoke detectors, install hand rails, have a first aid kit, and create an emergency preparedness plan.

Having a clear open walkway is important to be able to move a walker, cane, or wheel care through a safe path, so furniture may need to be move.  Consider getting an in home caregiver to be able to help your parent daily, and check in on them to be sure they are doing well.  We have experienced caregivers who can encourage your parent to make safe choices.

Another way to improve senior safety is purchasing one of our medical alarms. Our medical alert product is a small emergency button that can be worn under the shirt, and pushed when needed to get immediate help.  Our state of the art waterproof button is small and light weight and very comfortable to wear.  When the button is pushed, our emergency button operates up to 600 feet in your home.  It is very affordable to have year round.  And, if pushed, the button is answered by a trained medical technician that can get assistance immediately, and notify help to check on the senior who is in crisis.

What’s so sad is many seniors wait for a fall and hospitalization before they realize that a button could have saved them from pain and suffering.

One senior we met, Gerald, fell and got stuck behind his headboard. Gerald was surprised he could fit in that spot! After a brief hospital stay, he decided he needed a button to wear to prevent future ordeals, and Gerald gave us a call since his facility recommended our light weight medical alarm.  Another elderly lady we met, Edna, was stuck in her bathtub for over a day before she got our button.  The story was a neighbor had not seen Edna get her mail for the past day, started banging on her door, and with Edna yelling from the tub, her neighbor called 911 to get help. Edna now wears our affordable button 24/7 to prevent future accidents that can happen so easily in the bathroom for elderly residents.  Her senior neighbor, Betty called us for a button as well, and we have been keeping them both safe and secure for now the past 2 years.

The most challenging client to get a button was for my mother, Elva Jo.  She did not think she needed a button, even though her Doctor had told her she was a clear fall risk.  I insisted she had to wear the medical alert button, and I installed it myself.  Surprisingly, the next day, Mom fell for the first time after company had left a chair pulled out farther in her walking path after she had said good-bye.  She could not get up off of the floor, so she pushed her button and asked our friendly alarm operator to call the fire department to come over and help her get up off of the floor.  They checked her out, she had a nasty bruise, but no broken bones, thank goodness.  She was so glad to have her button, and a caring son who insisted that she wore her medical alarm at all times.

Well the truth is after falling, the longer the senior remains on the floor, the more inflammation sets in, dehydration, and possible internal bleeding.

That delay increases the hospital and rehabilitation stay for your elderly loved one.  In fact, getting up after a fall quickly can reduce the possibility of hospitalization by as much as 27%.

Statistics also report 50% of the elderly who fall, need another person for assistance to be able to get back up. It is also reported that receiving help quickly can prevent death by as much as 81%.  Many seniors fear falling, and our alarm button gives peace of mind to the senior and family member that help is available.  Not to mention, if you had one of our in home care givers, our care would greatly improve wellness.  Give us a call at (972) 658-4001 and we would love to come out to meet you and discuss care options.

Elder Care in Plano, TX

There are plenty of things to be concerned about when a loved one requires elder care. You’re worried about their health, you’re concerned with their outlook on life and their stress level, and you worry about the future. Did they plan ahead for this type of contingency? Will they be able to have the right medical care?

And the list goes on and on.

What about when the elderly patient isolates himself from others? Should that be a great concern to you, or should your primary focus be on getting him the right type of medical care?

Isolation can be caused by any number of issues, from feeling as though you can’t take part in the things that others can still do and not wanting to be reminded of your limitations to depression.

When someone is depressed, they may have a tendency to hide away from others. This is often because they feel either unworthy or so sad and down that they just don’t want to be bothered talking to anyone else. For elderly individuals, when they are confronted with a number of health issues, it can lead to depression. Even if they have plenty of friends in the area, they may stop calling them, answering the phone, or going to the activities that they used to enjoy.

When a patient isolated himself from others, it’s usually a cry for help. However, if the individual has a history of being alone and isolated, then this might not be out of the ordinary. That doesn’t make it healthy or the right thing for them to do, though.

Talk to the elderly individual and find out why he or she has decided to separate himself from others. You may not get an answer. They may just shrug or say that they don’t feel like being around anyone right now. For a few days, this might be okay, especially if they have just received tough news, such as a diagnosis that focuses on their own mortality.

Give them their space, but begin looking into home care for the elderly as this might be just what they need to get out and into their life again. If you feel that the senior has isolated himself and refuses to even speak to anyone, even you, then it may be time to talk to a professional, such as a counselor, to try and help them step out into the world, into their life, once again.

Elder care, including counseling, can certainly help when it comes to isolation.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Plano, TX, contact Approved Home Care at 972-658-4001 today.

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