As you age, your health declines. It’s an unfortunate reality in life, and because of this, seniors are more vulnerable to suffering injuries. Sometimes those injuries can be quite severe.
For anyone who has the responsibility of looking after an elderly person, whether it be a family member, friend, or client who you care for as part of your job, it’s important to devise a strategy for keeping an at-risk senior both safe and healthy. To start, it’s good to know what injuries seniors will most commonly suffer from. In this article, we list some of the most frequent injuries among seniors, along with tips on how to avoid them.
Dislocation of the Hip
Because bones deteriorate with age, elderly people are more susceptible to hip problems or even fractures. Adding to the problem may be vision issues or being inebriated by medication, raising the chances of a fall resulting in a bruised or broken hip bone. In cases like this, slip and fall lawyers come in handy if someone was to blame for the senior falling. Maintaining their health can reduce the chances of breaking their hip during a fall. Another deterrent could be as simple as keeping an eye on a senior’s intake of meds, eliminate any obstacles that could result in a fall, or make sure they are getting enough calcium in their diet, as well as vitamin D.
Burn Injuries
Suffering from a burn injury is more common than you may think among seniors. Sometimes, they can be bad enough to be life-threatening. One of the most common causes of burns for seniors occurs during cooking. Deteriorating attributes to seniors suffering this kind of injury, one specific reason is simply memory loss. Some seniors may forget to turn off their stove, not realize it is on and touch the burner or even a hot skillet and suffer severe burns. The elderly will be adamant about the need to keep their independence, but it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be checked on regularly.
When checking on an elderly family member, remember to help them around the house, conduct their daily errands and routines, get them to bed, help them on their daily trek to work or even taking a vacation. If this isn’t feasible, due to your own schedule, maybe it is time to think about assisted living or a nursing home.
Head Injuries
A senior may suffer a bad fall or a car accident and strike their head. While a head injury can be serious for anyone at any age, it is especially dangerous for the elderly. An older person who has suffered a head injury is at a greater risk of an onset of dementia or other related diseases. Prevention techniques could be as simple as ensuring that they wear a seat belt while operating a vehicle, carrying a cane with them for walking, and ensuring they do not drink alcohol excessively.
Back Injuries
As people age, they will be plagued by disc degeneration and arthritic joints, which will increase their risk of lower back injury. To help slow down this process, seniors must eat meals high in nutrition and keep their weight to a healthy number, as well as regular exercise and better posture.
