Elderly Care in Rocklin CA: How Do You Help Your Elderly Loved One
When your loved one falls, your first reaction may be fear. Reacting as calmly as possible can help to keep the situation from becoming too difficult to manage.
Do Your Best to Stay Calm
Suddenly falling can be very chaotic and upsetting, both for you and for your elderly loved one. Do your best to remain as calm as possible after your loved one falls. If she’s not able to stay calm, help her to take slow, deep breaths. Soothe your loved one and let her know that everything is going to be okay.
Check Your Loved One for Injuries
Before trying to help your loved one get up, check for injuries. She may have twisted an ankle or knee or possibly tripped over something. Regardless of how the fall happened, it’s very possible that your loved one could have sustained some damage to herself. Now is the time to assess her potential injuries to make sure that you don’t injure her further as you’re helping her up.
Go Slowly as You Help Your Loved One Up
When you’ve got an understanding of what your loved one’s injuries might be, go slowly as you help her up. Brace yourself if you need to and remember to lift with your legs and not your back. You don’t need to injure yourself while you’re helping your loved one get back up. If possible, you might also want to move a chair or bench closer to your loved one to help her brace herself and to give you a place close by to help her to.
Call Your Loved One’s Doctor or 911 if You Run Into Trouble
If at any time while you’re helping your loved one back up or afterward you notice that she’s more injured than you thought, you may need additional help. Be sure to call her doctor or 911 right away. It’s always better to call for assistance and not need it than to put it off and have needed that help.
Hiring elderly care providers can help your loved one to feel more secure when you’re not able to be there with her. It can also give you peace of mind about her potential for falling at all.