Keeping Your Loved One Safe

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the following statistics:

• Making sure that your loved one is safe while you are away
• Managing challenging behaviors
• Managing other aspects of dementia
• Memory enhancing interventions such as reviewing memory books
• Encouragement and compassion

Because approximately 50 – 60% of all falls among older adults occur at home, the CDC recommends that a senior’s home be assessed for potential hazards. Your free initial visit by a Hopewell RN provides an opportunity to identify potential fall hazards, perform a fall-risk assessment, and take corrective action before a fall occurs. Our Patient Information Booklet includes a section on common in-home hazards that may contribute to a fall. The initial RN visit also provides an opportunity for suggestions for assistive devices such as a cane or walker, grab bars in bathrooms, elevated toilet seat, or bed-side commode that could help prevent a fall.

Hopewell trains its caregivers on fall prevention and instructs them that “every patient is a fall risk.” This mindset allows Hopewell caregivers to be constantly vigilant with their patients to prevent falls from occurring. Further, when the Hopewell RN identifies a client with a history of falling or a diagnosis that can contribute to a fall, a plan of care is implemented alerting the caregiver that the patient is at a heightened risk of a fall so that a debilitating fracture may be prevented.