The patient/caregiver was educated on fall precautions for Alzheimer’s patients as follows:
- Alzheimer’s individuals can often forget using their recommended assistive device, if any, and consequently present with episodes of increased fall risk. Leave reminders regarding use of assistive device posted in the patient’s room, restroom, hallway, and all other areas they frequent, as part of fall & accident prevention measures.
- Caregivers must comply with some basic fall prevention measures, such as, clearing the clutter, mopping the floor dry from any cleaning or spillage of other fluids, leaving the floor carpeted, marking the edges of the stairs with bright colored tape, installing sturdy handrails on the stairways, removing all the throw rugs, and keeping all cords out of the walking path. These measures can immensely help in preventing accidental falls of senior citizens, especially individuals with Alzheimer’s having poor appreciation of their surroundings.
- Alzheimer’s patients, secondary to worsening confusion, can often forget the directions to different rooms in their own house. Such episodes can be more frequent during the nights when they wake up for restroom trips. This can be seriously disabling and result in the individual wandering off in the wee hours of night. Caregivers must arrange for display labels on the walls indicating directions to various places in the house, such as, patient’s room, restroom, kitchen, and hall.
- Alzheimer’s patients can often find it difficult to interpret and differentiate similar looking colors. Painting the walls in quite contrast with the color of the carpet or the floor tile can help the Alzheimer’s patient notice the difference and tread their path safe while walking around. Caregivers must leave the lights on during the night and fix a fluorescent tape on either side of the path, especially from patient’s room to restroom. This can help the individual see, interpret things better, and walk safe along the path defined, while going for a restroom trip during the night in a dazed state.
- Caregivers must encourage the Alzheimer’s patients to limit or avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol intake can add more dizziness and confusion to the Alzheimer’s patient, which can steeply increase their risk for falls & accidents. Also, excessive alcohol consumption can result in malnutrition states with poor absorption of essential nutrients & vitamins.
