Home Care Hialeah FL
If you’re worried about your elderly loved one’s balance, you might be concerned that she’s due for a fall. Falling isn’t a given for your elderly loved one, though, and there are things that you can do to help her at home to keep her balance more readily.
Coach Her to Take Slightly Bigger Strides
Take a close look at your loved one’s current strides when she walks. If she’s taking shorter strides that basically amount to shuffling her feet, then she could benefit from taking slightly longer strides. You don’t want to send your loved one farther off balance, though, so don’t push this technique if she’s uncomfortable.
Use Assistive Devices
Some elderly loved ones resist using assistive devices such as canes or walkers because they view them as taking some of their independence away. In reality, though, using assistive devices can help your loved one to stay far more stable on her feet. Work with her doctor to show your loved one the proper way to walk with her assistive device so that she gets the most out of using it.
Help Her to Take Her Time
If your elderly loved one has a tendency to try to jump up right away, help her to take her time a little more. It’s not unusual for anyone to have difficulty with balance if they stand too quickly. This is especially true if your loved one has a history of low blood pressure or other health conditions that can make lightheadedness common.
Start an Exercise Program
Having a solid exercise program that is tailored just for your elderly loved one can really help her to keep her balance. Start out by talking with her doctor to make sure that she’s healthy enough to begin exercising regularly. Then you can start to determine what types of exercise she would most benefit from and what the frequency should be. As she exercises more often, she’ll be able to strengthen her muscles and improve her balance.
Work with your loved one’s home care providers to learn other techniques that can help your loved one to keep her balance.
