But did you know that falls are actually the leading cause of unintentional injury and death for those 65 and older?

According to the CDC, 1 out of 4 older adults will fall each year in the U.S., making falls a public health concern. There are many risk factors, including increased inactivity, changes in gait and balance, and prescription medication use.

Falls increase the chances of being hospitalized, setting up further potential health risks in pneumonia and adverse medical reactions.

But there is a lot you can do to reduce the fall risk for your senior loved one.

Let’s look more closely at some reasons older adults are more susceptible to falls, and how to help keep them safe.

The 3 Top Ways to Prevent Falls in Older Adults

As you can see, there are many contributing factors to why your senior loved ones become more susceptible to falls as they age.

The good news: there are simple solutions that can reduce their risk. Here are our top three recommendations—the primary methods we use at Benton House that we know from experience make the biggest difference for our loved ones.

Help your senior loved one fall-proof their home:

Chances are, your senior loved one spends the majority of their time at home. A regular assessment of the living environment may be the single biggest step you can take to reduce risk and notice changes. Invest time to assess each living area, room by room, and take action to minimize fall risks. Focus on three key areas: lighting, walkways, and bathrooms. 

Lighting: switch to automatic lights where possible and install night lights throughout the home to illuminate main walkways indoors and out.

Walkways and Paths: remove throw rugs, clear clutter, and provide reminders like brightly colored tape on stairs and transitions.

Bathrooms: install grab bars, handrails, bath benches, and other safety and support items.

Encourage your senior loved ones to exercise, with a focus on balance activities:

Older adults need three types of exercise regularly: aerobic activities, muscle strengthening, and balance activities. They’re all important, but a CDC study suggests that an exercise program that includes both balance activities and functional exercise (a type of muscle strengthening) reduces the risk of falls in older adults by 24%.

Read our tips here to help your senior loved one create an exercise program for both physical fitness and fun.

Prioritize the overall health of your senior loved ones:

Our most important tip? Make sure you or someone you trust stays on top of the physical and mental health of your senior loved one. The two most important health areas of focus to reduce the risk of falls for older adults include assessing chronic conditions and managing related medications.

Take advantage of routine doctor checkups

Make sure you or their appointed caregiver attends appointments with your loved one. Many conditions (like thyroid imbalances or dementia) contribute to the risk of falling for older adults, so take full advantage of having an expert in the room to ask the doctor questions or raise concerns. 

Develop a simple system to manage medications

The unfortunate truth: Medication prescribed to treat conditions common in older adults can also raise fall risk when taken incorrectly. Work together with your senior loved one and caregivers to create a medication management plan everyone involved with their health can easily follow. Whatever other methods you use, keep visual reminders like this free medication chart template on their fridge, so everyone on their healthcare team can easily stay on the same page.

Next Steps

Is there one magic pill that can keep your senior loved ones safe from ever falling?

Unfortunately, no.

But fall-proofing their home, encouraging exercise, and managing their overall health go a long way in reducing their risk, so they stay as healthy (and balanced) as possible.

Get Your Free 1:1 Caregiving Support

Would you like personal, customized help reducing the fall risk of your senior loved one—completely free of charge?

Get compassionate caregiving support, including a non-clinical home safety review, in one of these three easy ways.

• Visit our support page and request your complimentary Caregiver Workbook.
• Call our Caregiver Hotline for free custom support at 855-461-2552. We’re here to help.
• Send us a message describing how we can support you. Choose whether you’d like us to reach out: text, email, or snail mail.

Again, there is no charge for these services. They’re simply an extension of our mission to help every family who calls.

The post Reducing Fall Risk: How to Keep Your Senior Loved Ones Safe appeared first on Benton House.

Fall seems to always fly by faster than any of us are prepared for. Before we know it, winter arrives. And with it, the potential for winter storms.

If you help take care of your aging parents, fall is a good time of year to help prep their home for storms or extra chilly weather that may sweep in with winter. Here are five simple ways to help make sure mom and dad are ready for the season.

Get Ahead of Medication Management

Ensure your parents have an organized system for medication management—like a simple medication chart that reminds them what to take, and when. If it looks like a storm is on the horizon, it’s a good idea to remind them to make sure they have ample stock of prescription refills as well as their favored over-the-counter medications.

Stock up on Pantry Essentials

Help mom or dad stock up on the most important things to have on hand in case a winter storm knocks the power out: nonperishable food and a few gallons of drinking water. Essentials like canned soups and dried rice and beans are smart, but make sure you also include food that doesn’t rely on refrigeration or cooking to make a meal (like nut butters, jelly, tinned fish, and crackers). Don’t forget a manual can opener.

Gather an Emergency Kit

Besides food and water, help them create a go-to power outage kit that includes first aid supplies, candles, matches, flashlights, a battery-operated phone charger and radio, extra batteries, and a stash of extra blankets.

Install Storm Windows

Storm windows can be installed either inside or outside existing windows. They’re an energy efficient and cost effective way to improve insulation, and therefore keep mom or dad’s house warmer during winter.

Clean the Gutters

It may not be anyone’s favorite chore, but making sure gutters are clean and free of leaves or other debris that could create clogs should be a top priority as you help your aging parents prep for winter. Whether you hop up on the roof yourself or hire someone to clean them, cleaning out the gutters is wise to do before winter arrives, especially in colder climates where snow and ice can make clogs even more dangerous.

Next Steps 

Helping your aging parents prep their home for winter may seem daunting. but hopefully this short list of simple ways to support them gave you a few ideas to get started.

Have questions? We’re always here to talk through how we can best support you and your family.

If you could use any more specific guidance on helping them plan for winter, we’d love to help. Feel free to call us at 855-461-2552, or send us a message, anytime.

The post 5 Ways to Help Your Aging Parent Prepare Their Home for Winter appeared first on Benton House.

On average, about 1,200 tornadoes are reported each year in the United States. In 2021, 1,376 touched down in the US, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

While many aren’t deadly, 2021’s twisters claimed about 100 lives. Which means It’s a good idea to talk with your loved one about how they can best prepare in the event of a tornado in their area.

In this article, you’ll learn how to help your loved one know what to look for, how to best prepare their home, and what to do if a tornado actually touches down in their area.

Let’s dive in.

Tornado Safety for Seniors: Know What to Look For

If your loved one lives in an area affected by tornadoes, make a plan ahead of time with them for what to do if there is a tornado alert. Here are some tips to consider.

When is the tornado season for different areas of the United States?

While tornadoes can happen any time of year, here are the times they’re most likely for different areas of the US. For the southern Plains, peak tornado season is May through early June. On the Gulf, it’s early in the spring. For the northern Plains and upper Midwest, tornadoes are most likely in June or July.

Know the difference: tornado watch versus tornado warning

A tornado watch means there is a good chance one will touch down nearby, and usually includes many counties and lasts for several hours.

A tornado warning, on the other hand, means severe weather is already present. If a tornado watch is issued for their area, it’s time to immediately seek shelter and put your tornado response plan into action.

Know what tornado conditions look like

Help your loved one understand tornado conditions: dark, greenish skies, large hail, dark and rotating low-hanging cloud formations, and a loud, train-like roar.

Make sure your loved one’s smartphone receives Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

The Wireless Emergency Alert system allows authorized national, state, or local governments to send public alerts — including tornado alerts — to participating wireless carriers. Most smart phones are set up to automatically receive WEA alerts, but not all providers necessarily opt in to using this voluntary government service, so we recommend checking with your carrier.

Understand tornado warning signals for their area

Make sure your loved one knows where a tornado watch or warning could come in. Besides WEA, severe weather warnings are issued through outdoor warning sirens, local and cable television, local radio stations, smartphone apps, and NOAA weather radio.

What to prepare in case of a tornado

While you can’t know how any home will fare during a tornado, here is how to keep your loved one as safe as possible if a twister does touch down in their area.

Designate a go-to safe area at home, or nearby

Identify a place for household members and pets to gather during a tornado: according to the Red Cross, good choices include a basement or small room on ground level like a bathroom or closet with no windows

In a high-rise, find a hallway in the center of the building, in case there isn’t time to get to the lowest floor. Mobile homes are unsafe for tornadoes, so designate a nearby building instead.

Locate a local emergency shelter

What if your loved one must evacuate their home? The Red Cross offers a free shelter program, with an interactive map so you can help find them a nearby safe place.

Put together a tornado safety kit

Include food, water, a first aid kit, a flashlight (with extra batteries), matches and candles, cash and credit cards, and instructions on how to turn off the home’s utilities.

Consider a medical alert device for seniors

These systems can contact emergency services if a disaster happens, to get your loved one help when it’s needed.

Help your loved one know what to do during a tornado

If a tornado does touch down where your loved one lives, here is what the CDC recommends to do to stay safe during a tornado.

If they see warning signs, take immediate shelter

Make sure your loved one knows their safe place, and that a tornado warning means it’s time to immediately seek their designated shelter. For added protection, they can get under something sturdy, like a workbench or heavy table, and cover their body with a blanket or even a mattress, especially their head.

Seniors with limited mobility can protect themselves by covering up

If your loved one is in a wheelchair, or can’t move without assistance, they can protect themselves from falling objects by covering up with blankets and pillows.

Keep pets indoors

They should gather any companion animals and keep them close by and under control in the safe space.

Bring indoors items that could be picked up by strong wind (only if there is time)

If there is advance warning of an approaching tornado, it’s a good idea to bring outdoor items like grills, trashcans, lawn furniture — anything that could become a flying object in high winds — indoors.

Next steps: tornado safety for seniors

If your loved one lives alone in an area with a tornado season, you want to do the best you can to help them prepare. While severe weather can be scary, knowing how to prepare their home in the event of a tornado can help calm nerves, and even save lives.

If you have any more specific questions about how to keep your loved one safe in the event of a tornado, please reach out by calling us at  855-461-2552 or send us a message, anytime. We’re always here to help.

The post Tornado Safety Tips for Seniors appeared first on Benton House.

Whether you live a state away or just across town, it’s never easy to witness your parents age. It can be challenging to know when it’s time to intervene or have a conversation, but there will likely come a time when it becomes more clear that mom or dad probably shouldn’t live alone anymore.

What should you be looking out for, though? Here are seven tell-tale signs it may be time to consider assisted living for your aging parent.

1 – Unkempt home

Keeping a clean home takes both desire and mobility. If mom or dad begins to lose either one, it’s important to pay attention. Maybe you start to notice dirty dishes piling up, groceries left on the counter, spoiled food in the fridge, or even spills that haven’t been cleaned up.

Whether this happens because your senior parent has lost the physical capacity to wipe up a juice spill off the kitchen floor, or they’ve simply stopped caring about how their home looks, if you notice a change in the cleanliness of their space, it’s time to have a conversation.

2 – Poor hygiene

Perhaps you start to notice mom hasn’t been keeping her hair cutting appointments anymore. Maybe dad hasn’t been shaving. Sometimes this is due to no longer taking pride in their appearance, and sometimes it’s more of a symptom of forgetfulness, or even losing the fine motor skills to apply makeup anymore, for example.

Of course, it’s not realistic to expect your aging parent to always look like they’ve stepped out of a catalog. But if you begin to notice personal hygiene and self care declining, it could be a sign that it’s time to consider having a conversation about how you can support them.

3 – Inadequate Nutrition

A concern we often hear at Benton House is whether elderly parents still living at home are getting the necessary nutrition. Maybe you notice they’re not keeping the right types of food in the kitchen anymore.

There could be several reasons for this, ranging from choosing more packaged food because they’ve lost interest in cooking to losing the cognitive awareness around what foods they need to stay healthy.

Good nutrition is crucial to maintain health during the aging process, and a top reason it may be time to consider talking to your parent about assisted living.

4 – Emergencies or accidents

Often the reason someone picks up the phone to call us here at Benton House is that mom or dad has had an emergency that has left the whole family shaken up. Sometimes a fall or other accident is a symptom of something that needs medical attention, but it can also be helpful to consider whether anything else could have contributed.

Is the house unkempt, which caused mom to trip over shoes in the middle of the floor? Perhaps having someone tidy up could help. Do you notice medications in disarray?

It may be time to find a way to ensure mom or dad is taking the medicine they need to feel their best. Whatever the reason, a fall or other medical situation can often mean it’s time to consider whether it could be time for assisted living, where you could trust your aging parent would feel more safe.

5 – Hiding the Truth

Are you getting the sense, or have you found out directly, that perhaps mom isn’t telling the truth? Sometimes pride can keep our aging parents from fully sharing their reality with us, for fear of judgment — or even that something may get taken away from them.

Whether they’ve fallen victim to elder fraud, their license is expired and they’re nervous they won’t pass the test, or they’re feeling depressed on a regular basis, there are many reasons mom or dad may hide the truth.

While it may be uncomfortable, attempting to have candid conversations with your elderly parents about how they’re really doing can go a long way in understanding whether there is a way you can support them.

6 – Depressed Mood

Keeping an eye on mom or dad’s overall mood is important. It doesn’t always mean it’s time for assisted living — there are many reasons it can be hard to keep spirits up as we age. Friends are no longer with us, we often can’t partake in hobbies we once loved, and even aches and pains can become a constant source of low mood.

While we can’t solve every problem, sometimes there are simple solutions that can bring your aging parent relief and a lighter spirit.

Helping mom or dad adjust to a new hobby that fits with their growing limitations as they age, for example, can go a long way. Sometimes, though, a sustained depressed mood can signal that it’s time to consider support from a professional.

7 – Not Exercising

Getting exercise is important at any age, and even more so as we get older. Exercise can support heart health, reduce cancer risk, improve daily task abilities, boost mood, and even enhance cognition for seniors.

If mom’s quit dressing herself well, for example, it could be because she’s become unsteady — and she could be unsteady because she is losing motor function, which exercise can keep at bay. One of the major positives of assisted living is having a community as well as facilities that make exercising both easy and enjoyable for seniors.

Is it time to consider assisted living for your aging parent?

If you’re noticing any of these signs in your aging parent, you may be considering assisted living. It makes sense, because most assisted living communities are designed to support seniors around each one of these points, from nutrition to personal hygiene.

But how do you talk with mom or dad about this potentially sensitive topic?

Approaching the subject successfully depends on the individual’s fear. Sometimes a senior doesn’t realize that assisted living is a lifestyle choice, not a nursing home.

For example, at Benton House we don’t ask residents to start yearly leases. Instead, living here is month to month, so it doesn’t feel permanent if they don’t want it to. It’s also easy to come for a short-term respite stay, which can be anywhere from a week up to 60 days, to see how this lifestyle works for them.

If you could use support navigating talking about assisted living with your aging parents, we’re always here to help.

Call us at 855-461-2552 or send us a message, anytime.

The post 7 Tell-Tale Signs It’s Time to Consider Assisted Living appeared first on Benton House.

We designed this checklist for caring for elderly parents to give you a tangible overview of areas to consider when you’re taking care of your loved one.

Let’s look at the five most important areas to consider when you’re supporting elderly parents.

1 – Surviving Caregiving

First things first: remember to take care of yourself. While caring for an elderly parent can be a beautiful experience, many caregivers also share with us that the juggling of the multiple responsibilities involved weighs on them, especially over time. It can be a lot to balance, but knowing your limits, establishing boundaries, and asking for help goes a long way to support your own wellbeing as a caregiver.

Learn our top three tips for taking care of yourself as a caregiver.

2 – Medication Worries

Most older adults take at least one, and often multiple, medications, whether to manage a serious health condition or improve quality of life as they age. 15% of senior hospitalizations occur from medication errors or adverse drug reactions. We recommend an organized tracking system that works for you and your elderly parent to stay on top of medications and considerably reduce risk.

Download our medication chart templates to stay on top of medications.

3 – Nutrition and Wellness

Improved mental clarity, a healthier immune system, and increased energy are just a few benefits of a well-designed nutrition and wellness program for your aging parent. But from efficient grocery shopping to ensuring they’re eating a variety of healthy foods, a healthy and sustainable nutrition plan for seniors requires a bit of up front planning. And when it comes to physical wellbeing and fitness, it’s important to consider a variety of factors, including whether they’re getting quality sleep and which types of exercises they might enjoy.

Get clarity about where you could use support as a caregiver with our nutrition and physical needs assessments.

4 – Personal and Home Safety

While seniors often opt to stay in their homes as long as possible, a 2020 study found that fewer than 10% of U.S. homes have enough aging-accessible features. This includes things like wheelchair accessibility, first floor bedrooms and bathrooms, and built-in shower seats. When you’re considering senior safety, it’s also important to remember emotional wellbeing. Lower social support or a lack of emotional safety can leave your loved one more susceptible, for example, to senior scams.

Get started on an aging-accessible home with this senior friendly bathroom checklist.

5 – Planning Ahead

As your parents age, you may find yourself responsible for care decisions, from adult day care or short term stay possibilities to end of life wishes. An excellent starting point is meeting as a family to understand any particular desires your aging parent may have, so they can be as much part of conversation as possible.

Take our planning needs assessment to pinpoint any areas you may need clarity or support.

Next Steps

While senior caregiving is a learn-as-you-go process for most of us, the more clarity you can get up front, the smoother the experience will be for the whole family. We hope this checklist for aging parents offers a helpful bird’s eye view on your journey in caring for your loved one.

And as always, we’re here to help. Call us at 855-461-2552 or send us a message, anytime.

The post Caring for Aging Parents: A Practical Checklist appeared first on Benton House.