Create a Contingency Plan for Falls

A fall for a senior is truly a scary thing. There are the horror stories that you hear about where someone was not discovered in time to receive the help they needed in time. Since falls can happen for many reasons from a trip to losing mobility to a medical emergency, it is important to have a clear plan in place in case of a fall.

Choose a Home Monitoring System

One of the best aspects of a contingency plan for falls is a home monitoring system. The Safety Watch system includes a pendant that can be worn always even while in the shower or bath. There is the option that allows the device to monitor if the person wearing it falls and then the emergency monitoring center can contact to verify if there was a fall and if any help was needed. If there is no answer, then help is sent right away.

Do Regular Check Ins

There may be times when you forget to put on your pendant. It may be when you are changing clothes or when you first get up in the morning. If you were to fall on a day that you forgot to put on your pendant, you may be facing a much more serious situation. One way to help offset this possibility is to have regular check ins with a family member or neighbor who can make sure that everything is okay. Checking in at the same time every day can help set up a schedule so that a day is not forgotten. This is common practice in a retirement community. If you are still living in your home, you may want to have a regularly scheduled phone call to a child or someone else.

Set Up a Clear Notification Process

When you have a home monitoring system installed, you will also set up an emergency contact who will be notified if there any issues. This will allow your family to jump into action and meet you at the hospital or come over if you need the additional help. This emergency contact will then need to work to notify other family members of the situation. This could be through a group text or email. You could also assign this role to someone that can act as a liaison between the emergency contact person and the rest of the family.

Create an Emergency Plan Now

It helps to have a clear plan in place in the event of a fall or other medical emergency. This can include everything from deciding who will have medical power of attorney to adding people as a signer on accounts so that bills can continue to be paid while you are recovering. It can also include health insurance information, preferred doctor or hospital, and plans on what to do in each situation. It can take time to put all the paperwork in place, but it will make everything go much more smoothly if something does happen.

Read 5 Winter Travel Tips to Stay Safe and Prevent Falls and find out how you can have a safer Winter season free from injury.