Wintertime in New Jersey increases the risks of falling which can create immediate danger for your elderly loved ones. Because falls can have detrimental outcomes for seniors, facilitating your loved one’s safety becomes that much more important.
Through your careful planning and proactive involvement, you can help protect your aging loved ones from slipping, tripping and falling on ice.
Reducing risks
The risks of falling are already higher because of your loved one’s age. Factors that could impact safety include poor vision and physical limitations. Some medications may also cause drowsiness which may impair your family member’s attentiveness and awareness. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the ways you can reduce or prevent fall risks include the following:
- Arrange enough time to get your family member to appointments without rushing
- Prioritize maintenance of walkways that your family member frequents
- Offer to get the mail or walk pets to prevent your family member from needing to walk outdoors
- Encourage proper winter attire and make sure your family member has quality shoes
- Provide your family member with a cellphone or other device to notify help if a fall happens
Getting help
If your family member does fall down because of snow or ice, the impact can have debilitating and even fatal side effects. The faster help arrives the better to minimize collateral damage. Fall injuries that remain unattended to can create ongoing issues that ultimately affect your loved one’s well-being and longevity.
When your family member suffers a fall injury because of the negligence of others in maintaining their property, you may pursue legal action. Documenting the events and the emotional distress of your elderly loved one can provide instrumental support in getting compensation.