Let your mom still enjoy the beauty and joy of cooking for the family from time to time by making sure that these fall prevention measures are implemented in the kitchen. The reason for adhering to these fall prevention advice is because many falls that happen to seniors are either associated with the use of the bathroom or while preparing food in the kitchen be it for their own consumption or for the whole family or simply because they love the art of cooking.
Slip and fall accidents are in reality the number one cause of problems among seniors that send them to the hospital or results to injuries where they never completely quite recover. So here are safety measures that will help you better take care of your elderly parent to show her that you are willing to support her at this time in her life.
In preventing falls in the kitchen safe for your elderly parent, you should investigate the whole kitchen from top to bottom all wall cupboards, bottom cabinets, cupboards, and your counter tops as they may contain seemingly harmful objects that are in reality pose threats to your senior mom. For example your blender or your microwave oven could be in a spot where they have a tendency to fall on the floor which becomes a falling hazard to your mom when she tries to pick the object up.
• Throw rugs on your floors are a hazard to seniors and more often the cause of falls that result to permanent disability. These should be removed especially if your mom is using a cane or walkers with wheels.
• A wise fall safety measure is to check your kitchen floor, see to it that it's easy to clean and is non-slip. When cleaning your floor, don't use cleaners that leave residue or make the floor super shiny as this has the potential of causing a slip injury.
• Let mom prepare food while sitting because there are times when seniors will suddenly feel weak and tired from standing too long which will sometimes cause dizzy spells thus leading to a bad fall.
• Another fall prevention tip is to use non-slip mats where mom will put her mixing bowl as she is cooking.
• If mom has problems with eyesight, have her eyes checked once a year and install bright lights in your kitchen. You can also use contrasting colors on your floors and counter tops so that she can easily see the stairs or any elevated portions of your kitchen. Some seniors also wake up in the middle of the night to have a glass of water; a night light in the kitchen will help her see what she needs to see.
• Regarding electrical cords from appliances see to it that they are kept secure after use or that the cords are tacked to prevent your mom from tripping on the wires.
• You can also printout her recipes in large print to help her see what needs to be done better.
• As a fall prevention measure, those frequently used tools, pots, pans, bowls and other kitchen apparatus, transfer them to a location in the kitchen which is easy to reach so that mom will not have to use step tools to reach for that item up there.
On a final note, fall prevention also involves asking mom in a polite way that you are senior proofing her kitchen. If you fear that she might not take this lightly, you can use gentle persuasion, or subtle suggestions as to what needs to be done in the kitchen. The reason for this is that if mom doesn't see a tool in its usual place, she might try finding the tool anywhere else in the kitchen such as overhead cupboards which may cause a fall accident.
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