The Most Common Cause of Eye Injuries Among Elders and How to Prevent it

The Most Common Cause of Eye Injuries Among Elders and How to Prevent it
Caregivers in Bunker Hill TX The most common reason elders suffer from eye injuries are falls. As our elderly loved ones get older, the risk of falling significantly increases and can lead to a fractured hip. Research has shown that falling is the number 1 reason elders are hospitalized for eye injuries and was responsible for over 8,425 hospitalizations. If your loved one lives by themselves, you may want to consider a home care provider in order to help prevent any falls from occurring. Making changes throughout the home can also help lower their chances of tripping and falling. You can start making these changes with the following tips: Talk to the Doctor In some cases, an undiagnosed medical condition can be the cause of the elder’s frequent falls. Others may be on certain medications that cause them to lose their balance easily. If you or your elderly loved one suspect that one of these reasons is behind the older adult’s falls, make an appointment with the doctor and have the following information with you. List of medications. Create a list of all prescription and over-the-counter medications the elder has been taking. The doctor can examine this list and determine if one of them has side effects could be causing the elder to fall. If this is the case, they may suggest weaning off of that medication or switching to an alternative prescription. Past falls. If they have fallen before, they should jot down the times and places it happened, as well as how it happened. Include times when they began to fall, but were caught by someone before it happened. Get tested for other medical conditions. If the senior feels dizzy, short of breath, numbness, or joint pain when they walk, there falls could be the result of an underlying health problem. The doctor may need to test the elder’s strength, walking style, and balance to determine what could be causing the falls. Exercise With the doctor’s approval, exercise can help your elderly improve their balance, build strength and agility, and increase their flexibility. Walking, water aerobics, yoga, and tai chi are all excellent workouts for older adults to participate in. If the elder has a health condition that makes doing these exercises difficult, talk to their doctor. They may be able to suggest an exercise program that will work with your loved one’s physical limitations. Wear the Right Shoes Falls could easily be caused by not wearing proper shoes. Shoes that fit comfortably, have nonskid soles, and are sturdy will help prevent your loved one from falling. They should avoid wearing high heels, flip flops, or shoes with slippery soles because these shoes could increase their chances of falling. A simple fall can be dangerous to the health of older adults. These 3 tips will help prevent fall-related eye injuries. Source: http://www.aiphc.com/seniors-have-most-eye-injuries-falls http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/fall-prevention/art-20047358 The staff at SYNERGY HomeCare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your elder care needs. SYNERGY HomeCare is an elder care agency providing quality and affordable caregivers in Bunker Hill, TX and the surrounding areas. Call us for more information at 713-396-5211. Mike Willett Michael Willett is the owner of the Synergy HomeCare Central Houston office, but is also the Regional Director for Synergy HomeCare in South Texas. He currently acts as the owner and co-administrator of his owned & operated Synergy HomeCare franchise, but also develops the Synergy HomeCare franchise throughout Texas. Mr. Willett joined Synergy HomeCare in August of 2006 and has built a very successful franchise over the past seven years. Synergy HomeCare now has seven locations in Houston/Beaumont, Texas region, and plans to expand into several additional Texas markets within the next 12 months. Prior to his entrepreneurial venture into Synergy HomeCare, Mr. Willett was a portfolio manager for a Houston-based Investment Management firm. Specialties: Mr. Willett is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. After graduating from undergraduate school in 1993, Mr. Willett accepted a position as an analyst within the Valuation Service Group of Price Waterhouse in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Willett spent three years in financial consulting before transitioning into the world of investment management. Original article and pictures take http://www.synergyhomecare.com/agencies/tx/houston/tx01/houston-home-care-news/posts/2016/7/14/the-most-common-cause-of-eye-injuries-among-elders-and-how-to-prevent-it/#.V5AMULiANBc site