Elder Care in Carmichael CA: Falls and Alzheimer’s Disease

When you learned your elderly loved one was living with Alzheimer’s disease, you would likely prepare for a variety of challenges, limitations, and difficulties. One thing you might not have prepared yourself for, however, is increased risk for falls. Elderly adults are already at a high risk of experiencing falls, and the risk only increases as they get older. There are some risk factors that increase the potential for your senior to experience a fall, including Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown that seniors who have Alzheimer’s disease are three times more likely to experience a broken hip than those without dementia, and also far more likely to die in the months following the fracture. Understanding this can help you as a family caregiver to make modifications to your care routine that will help your parent to cope with the difficulties of Alzheimer’s disease and also remain safer as they progress through their disease.

Some reasons seniors with Alzheimer’s disease are more likely to experience falls include:

Cognitive functioning decline may lead your elderly parent into dangerous behaviors or not using basic safety methods such as using handrails.
Alzheimer’s can compromise visual information, making your parent more likely to trip over things or not see hazards such as changes in elevation.
Those living with Alzheimer’s disease often experience compromised gait as a part of their disease. This is generally marked with shuffling or not lifting their feet up off the floor as they walk. This can cause them to trip over obstacles such as rugs or cords.
Particularly later in the progression of the disease, Alzheimer’s compromises physical functioning and control, which increases potential for falls.

Elder care can be invaluable for you as a family caregiver for an elderly adult who is living with Alzheimer’s disease. The one guarantee when you are caring for a senior with this type of progressive disease is that it is unpredictable. There’s no way to know what types of challenges your senior will face, or when those challenges will change and increase. Having an elderly home care services provider as a part of their routine ensures they get the consistent, dedicated care they need to manage the challenges they are experiencing now, and also feel prepared to handle further symptoms, difficulties, and challenges as they arise.