Six Tips to Help Your Elderly Parent Avoid a Fall

2. Keep Safe Outside

Help your elderly parent stay safe from falls when outside with these tips:

a. Use a support when outside

Canes, walking sticks, frames are all useful tools to help stay balanced and help to avoid a fall when walking outside.

b. Good shoes

Make sure that good quality, sensible shoes are worn that are comfortable and have slip-resistant soles.

3. Stay Healthy

Regular exercise, a good diet and your doctor’s advice on how best to manage medical conditions will help reduce the risk of falls.

a. Exercise regularly and eat well

Strong muscles and joints are a great first defence against falls. Regular exercise will help your parent remain strong and assist good balance. A balanced nutritional diet will help your parent remain as healthy as possible.

b. Check eyesight

Regularly check your parent’s eyesight to ensure that they have the right lenses if their eyesight is deteriorating.

c. Talk to your doctor

Talk to your doctor and seek an assessment of your elderly parent’s risk of falling. Your GP will be able to suggest a strategy for fall prevention tailored to your parent. Seek advice from your doctor on whether prescription medicine might increase the risk of falls and whether there may be alternatives that reduce the risk of falling.

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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