Patient/caregiver was educated on fall precautions for Parkinson’s patients as follows:
- Install a bed light in the bedroom. Leaving the bed light on during the night can help better visibility and prevent falls. You can also leave the light on in your bathroom, so that it helps with easy maneuvering around during the late hours of the night.
- Have the house well-lighted. Maintain easy access to the switch board, to avoid accessing difficult areas in the dark. Having a remote to turn the light on and off can be of extra help. Leaving a nightlamp on showing the path from bed to the restroom can aid fall prevention. Maintaining a torch or flashlight at bedside can help during power shortage.
- Individuals with Parkinson’s disease must avoid activities, such as, using a ladder and working on heights. Poor balance in these individuals can precipitate fall from the working height and result in serious injury.
- Use of a handheld water hose can help avoid the stress of turning your back inside the shower to the stream of water and thus avoid a fall. Handheld water hose can help easy rinsing of back and other difficult to reach areas of the body, while seated on the shower bench. Having an extension to the water hose, as needed, can add more comfort.
