ReadyHarbor

Parent after a fall

A parent is coming home after a fall

What you actually need for parent after a fall — 16 things to cover, each with a pick.

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A grab bar where the hands already go

People steady themselves on a towel rail, a basin edge or a shower door, and none of those are fixed to hold a person's weight. A proper bar in the same place is the single highest-value change in the house.

What to check
  • Check the weight rating and how it fixes - a screwed bar into a stud or a proper fixing is what holds; a suction bar is for balance only and must never be trusted as a fall-stopper
  • Look for a knurled or textured surface, which grips a wet hand

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A non-slip mat inside the tub or shower

A wet, glazed tub floor is the most slippery surface in the house, and it is the one someone gets into on one leg. A mat is the cheapest item here and it addresses the highest-risk square metre.

What to check
  • Check the suction cups cover most of the mat, not just the corners, and that the size fits your tub floor
  • Look for a version rated for a textured or non-flat tub if yours is not smooth

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A shower chair or bench

Standing for a whole shower is tiring after a fall, and tiredness is when the next one happens. Sitting turns a risky five minutes into an ordinary one, and it makes washing possible without help.

What to check
  • Check the weight capacity and whether the height adjusts
  • A back and arms make getting up easier; a transfer bench is the version for a tub you have to step over rather than walk into

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A handheld shower head on a long hose

Once someone is sitting down, a fixed head pointed at head height is useless. A handheld one on a long hose is what makes the shower chair actually work, and the two are really one purchase.

What to check
  • Check the hose length, because the standard one is too short to reach someone seated
  • Look for a slide bar or a holder so it can be parked, and check it fits a standard thread before choosing

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A raised toilet seat or a frame

Lowering and rising from a standard-height toilet uses the exact muscles and joints most affected after a fall, a hip operation or a long stay in a bed. Raising the height by a few inches removes most of the effort.

What to check
  • Check it locks to your toilet rather than resting on it, and match the shape - round and elongated bowls are different
  • A version with arms gives something to push up from, which the seat alone does not

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

Night lights along the route to the bathroom

A large share of falls at home happen at night, on the way to the bathroom, in a house the person knows perfectly well in daylight. Light on that route is a change you make once and never think about again.

What to check
  • Motion-activated with a dusk sensor, so nothing has to be switched
  • Check they are bright enough to show a floor edge but dim enough not to wake the household, and put one in each room on the route rather than one in the hall

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

Removing the trip hazards you stopped seeing

Loose rug edges, a curled mat corner and a runner that slides are the things people trip on, and the residents of a house stop noticing them entirely. Rug tape is a twenty-minute job that removes several of them.

What to check
  • Check the tape is rated for your floor type, since some adhesives lift a finish
  • Look for a removable version if the floor is rented or refinished

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A reacher grabber

Bending to the floor and reaching to a top shelf are both things to avoid for a while, and both are things people do without thinking twenty times a day. A grabber removes the temptation entirely.

What to check
  • A 32-inch length suits most rooms; a shorter one is easier to handle in a car or a chair
  • Look for a rotating head and a magnetic tip, which catches keys and coins off a hard floor

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A bed rail or an assist handle

Getting in and out of a bed is a transfer, and a transfer is where a lot of second falls happen. A rail gives something fixed to pull against instead of a mattress edge that moves.

What to check
  • Check how it fixes - some go under the mattress, some fix to the frame, and they are not equally stable on every bed
  • Check the height against the mattress depth, because a thick mattress makes a short rail useless

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A chair riser or a firm cushion

A deep, soft sofa is the hardest seat in the house to get out of. Raising the seat height, or replacing a collapsed cushion with a firm one, is often the difference between independent and needing a hand every time.

What to check
  • Check the weight rating and that the riser suits the leg shape of the chair
  • For a cushion, high-density foam holds up where a soft one collapses in a week and puts you back where you started

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

Non-slip socks and firm slippers

Socks on a wood or tile floor are the indoor equivalent of ice. Grip on the sole is a small change to something worn every day, which is exactly the kind of change that actually gets used.

What to check
  • Look for grip on both the sole and the top if the person turns a lot in bed
  • For slippers, a firm heel that stays up beats a backless pair, which is a trip hazard in itself

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A transfer belt

If you are helping someone stand, pulling on an arm or under a shoulder can hurt them and is unstable for you. A belt round the waist gives a proper handhold, which is what a nurse or a therapist uses.

What to check
  • Check the length range fits, and look for handles rather than a plain belt, which is much easier to hold
  • A quick-release buckle matters if it has to come off fast

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A pill organiser with morning and night

Coming out of a hospital usually means more medications than went in, on a schedule nobody has memorised. An organiser turns a memory problem into something anyone in the house can check at a glance.

What to check
  • Look for AM and PM compartments and large, easy-open lids, which matter for stiff or weak hands
  • Check the compartment size takes the largest tablet in the set

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A phone that can be answered from a chair

A phone across the room is a reason to get up quickly, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid. A handset kept beside the chair and the bed removes several rushed trips a day.

What to check
  • Look for large buttons, an amplified handset and a base with an intercom or a locator button
  • Check how many handsets are included, because you want one by the chair and one by the bed

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A rollator with a seat

A frame you carry is tiring; a rollator rolls and, more importantly, has a seat, which means a walk to the kitchen can include a rest. The seat is what turns a walking aid into something that increases how far someone goes.

What to check
  • Check the handle height range against the person's height and the weight capacity
  • Look for a bag or basket, because carrying anything while using a walker is otherwise impossible

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

Reusable cold packs

Bruising after a fall is usually the longest-lasting part, and a bag of frozen peas is the thing every household improvises with and then wants back for dinner. Proper packs stay flexible when frozen.

What to check
  • Look for gel packs that stay pliable at freezer temperature, so they wrap round a joint
  • Check they come with a cloth cover, because bare gel on skin causes its own damage

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

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