As we get older, our chance of falling becomes higher due to mobility issues, impaired cognitive health and heightened confusion. This risk is even higher for individuals with dementia, making it difficult for them to live alone safely.
It’s reported that one in three adults over 65 will experience at least one fall each year, with the risk increasing to 50% for those over 80. Today, we’ll explore falls and dementia, including why they occur and practical tips on preventing them.
Why Are People with Dementia More at Risk of Falling?
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are progressive diseases that cause damage to the brain. Common symptoms include memory loss, confusion and cognitive impairment, which all worsen over time. People with dementia who have a higher risk of falling often experience difficulties with:
- Judgement
- Sensory perception
- Mobility
- Communicating their needs
Falls can indicate that someone is living with frailty, a state of increased vulnerability to illness and injury. It occurs when the body’s natural reserves decline across multiple systems, making it difficult to bounce back from minor stressors that otherwise would hardly affect them.
Likewise, a fall can increase the risk of frailty in older adults. Even if their original fall wasn’t due to pre-existing frailty, they may become frail and therefore have a greater risk of recurrent falls.
Download our free frailty care guide to learn more.
Can You Prepare a Person with Dementia for a Fall?
While it’s impossible to predict when your loved one may experience a fall, you can be prepared for the possibility that one will occur. This is most important if you notice the person with dementia becoming more frail and immobile.
There are several things you can do to prepare your family for a fall, including:
- Buy them a personal alarm: A personal alarm or fall detector is a wearable device that can alert family members or emergency services if a person falls, reducing the time it takes for them to get help.
- Create emergency supply kits around the house: Fill baskets with blankets, phone chargers, and bottles of water, and place them in low-lying locations in case your loved one falls and can’t get up.
- Install a home assistant: The individual can talk to an Amazon Alexa, Siri or other voice-activated home assistant to call for help if they fall, without having to reach a phone.
- Consider accessibility options: Install a key safe next to the door for emergency services to use, give a trusted neighbour a spare key, and place contact information in an easy-to-find location.
How Can You Reduce the Risk of Falls at Home?
The majority of falls occur at home, so assessing all potential hazards is essential. The best way to do this is to walk around your loved one’s home, paying particular attention to the floor and surrounding areas, to find any loose flooring, trip hazards or low furniture.
You can also request help from a professional through a needs or home assessment:
- A needs assessment is designed to help the individual with dementia cope with everyday life, identifying daily challenges and equipment that may help. This could include a walking frame, a stair lift, a walk-in shower, occupational therapy or a paid carer.
- A home assessment focuses on home adaptations and equipment to support daily living, with most councils funding small changes up to £1,000. This could include grab bars, motion-activated lighting or bedroom hoists.
These assessments are free, but you might have to pay for any recommended adaptations, equipment or care services. Funding is available, but this is means-tested based on how critical the need is and your loved one’s available finances.
For larger recommended changes, such as installing a stair lift or walk-in shower, the person with dementia will have to cover the cost. It may be worth seeing if they’re entitled to the Disability Facilities Grant to help cover the cost.
Read our helpful guide on creating a dementia-friendly home environment to learn more tips on preventing falls at home.
Preventing Falls Outside of the Home
Falls outside the home, while less common, can still be worrying and even more dangerous.
To prevent your loved one from falling while out, consider:
- Investing in sturdy, closed-toe shoes with flat and well-treaded rubber soles
- Offer walking aids, such as sticks, frames or a wheelchair
- Encourage them to walk slowly while taking shorter strides to better pace themselves
- Book regular check-ups for their vision and hearing to ensure their senses aren’t impaired
- When possible, walk with them and scan for hazards to guide them safely
What Should You Do If a Dementia Patient Falls?
If your loved one falls, the first thing to do is keep calm. If they’re confused, they will base their feelings and reaction on your own, so showing them that you’re not panicking is the best way to keep them calm.
Assess them for serious injury. If you’re sure that they have none and it’s safe for them to get up, support them slowly and steadily. You may need another person to help do this, such as a neighbour or friend.
To get them up, follow these steps:
- Ask them to roll onto their hands and knees
- Look for a stable item of furniture that they can lean on, such as a heavy chair
- Position it in front of them and ask them to hold onto it with both hands
- Lift them slowly until upright
- Sit them down in a chair to rest
If there’s no one to help you, keep your loved one on the ground, as lifting them unsteadily may increase the risk of injuries for you both.
If the person is injured or not responding to your questions about pain, or you can’t get them off the floor, call 999 for an ambulance. Cover their legs with a blanket and keep them comfortable until help arrives.
How Trinity Homecare Can Help
At Trinity Homecare, we take pride in offering bespoke care services to individuals and their families. Our compassionate, fully trained carers are experienced in fall prevention and dementia care, helping your loved one remain safely at home for longer.
Whether you require short-term respite from a visiting carer or comprehensive live-in care, we’ll carefully match your needs with a friendly carer. They’ll carry out their own assessment of your loved one’s home, recommending minor changes to help keep them safe without causing distress.
Talk To Us Today
At Trinity Homecare, our ultimate goal is to enrich your lifestyle in the comfort and familiarity of your own home. This allows you to live the independent lifestyle that you love without the daunting thought of moving into a care home. We are here to support you with various forms of live-in care.
Call us now on 0207 183 4884 in confidence for a free, no obligation quotation. If enquiring outside of our opening hours, please complete our online form and we will contact you the next day.
