Elderly 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.