June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other brain-related conditions, such as dementia.
Alzheimer’s can affect families and caregivers in a variety of ways, but this Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, we’d like to highlight one area of particular importance: fall prevention.
Fall risk and Alzheimer’s
When people age, they naturally acquire a greater risk of falling and hurting themselves. The reason for this is that several conditions associated with aging can lead to loss of balance and muscle control.
However, Alzheimer’s presents its own unique problems separate from these other factors. Alzheimer’s and/or dementia can cause someone, at certain times, to experience a feeling of disorientation and confusion about where they are and what they are doing.
For example, a loved one with Alzheimer’s might rise from bed prematurely and attempt to walk in dark areas or while they are in a drowsy state. Another example is when a person with Alzheimer’s attempts to rise from a wheelchair but forgets to turn on the breaks beforehand, resulting in the wheelchair rolling backward when they try to push themselves up and out of the chair.
Alzheimer’s aids for safety, fall prevention
Fortunately, here at The Wright Stuff we have the assistive devices you need to counteract these problematic situations.
First, the Safe-T-Mate Personal Safety Alarm is a handy alarm that automatically sounds off when your loved one gets out of the bed or the wheelchair. The stainless steel clip with the battery-operated alarm can be clipped onto the back of a wheelchair, the bed or even a walker. There is a cord with a small clip that goes onto the user’s clothes. If the user leaves the wheelchair, bed or walker, the alarm will sound to alert the caregiver.
The Safe-T-Mate Personal Safety Alarm can therefore give the caregiver peace of mind, since it lets them know when their loved one is attempting to walk without help or support.
Another ingenious fall prevention aid is the Safe-T-Mate Wheelchair Anti Rollback Device. This also uses automated technology to sense when the user has risen from their chair. If the wheelchair user attempts to get up, the device automatically locks the breaks. This can be extremely important, because if the user forgets to break the locks, the wheelchair will inadvertently roll backwards, potentially causing the user slip back and fall. Not with the Safe-T-Mate Wheelchair Anti Rollback Device!
The possibility of falling presents a grave danger that many people may not be aware of. A fall can cause a serious injury. These daily living aids increase caregiving efficiency and safety in your home.
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