The Elderly and Falling: Staying Safe with Independent Living

It’s an unfortunate fact that, while people are enjoying longer and more fruitful lives overall, there are serious risks posed to elderly people due to their bodies continuously degrading over time. One of the biggest risks facing elderly individuals across the UK and Ireland is the risk of falling.

This year, one in three people over the age of 65 will sustain a potentially life-threatening fall. For those over the age of 80, the number is more staggering, and the falls are potentially more deadly.

We want to go over the fall risk posed to seniors, why it’s such a big deal to those living independently, and a solution to this problem that can allow seniors to maintain their independence safely.

The Risks of Falling and the Need for Immediate Help

Fall situations are extremely common, and they can create devastating situations for the elderly.

Unlike falling as a child, or when someone is in their prime, seniors face an increased chance of serious fractures, more substantial blood loss, concussions, or internal bleeding. This is largely caused by a lack of bone density, more fragile skin, and general degradation of the bodily integrity they had when they were young.

Those injuries are all extremely serious, and if they’re left unchecked, they can be deadly without the person even knowing that the situation is as bad as it is.

As such, it's important for seniors to get help as soon as possible when a fall occurs. Even if they feel as if their injuries are minor and they just need a bit of time to shake them off. A simple headache can be a concussion with life-threatening consequences, large patches of bruising might be internal bleeding that doesn't become obvious until it's too late, and a sore limb or bone might be a fracture that needs to be checked and wrapped immediately to prevent the development of worse issues.

How Living Alone can Make Falls Worse

Everyone wants to live independently, and as long as that’s a safe option, it should be something that seniors are allowed to do. However, independent living can make falls much worse; there’s no one around to help when a senior falls and can’t get themselves up, and it might be days before anyone outside of the home realises something is wrong. By then, the senior might succumb to wounds that could have easily been treated with immediate care.

How SOS Devices Help Seniors Stay Safe

A lot of the issues we mentioned above can be minimized with planning, a good sense of communication between family members and neighbours, and of course, having preemptive measures set up such as bathroom railings, staircase aids, and their home free of trip hazards. Knowing those key points is crucial for independent living. However, the risk of falling will always be present for seniors.

There is a solution; SOS devices can get help as soon as it’s required.

An SOS device is something that an elderly person can wear on their body, and when they fall, the device can be used to immediately contact help; whether the individual is able to stand up and reach a phone or not. Once the SOS is activated in an elderly falling situation, a service is contacted to dispatch help; how that help is received varies depending on the system.

An SOS system is important, because having something such as an SOS watch, means that elderly individuals can maintain independent living without worrying about a fall leaving them helpless until someone happens to stumble upon them. Help can be reached immediately, and the many life-threatening risks associated with elderly falling are minimized.

Nik for WatchOvers.com 22nd September 2022

Monitoring smoke alarms and other devices for your elderly relative

For anyone with elderly relatives who need support, it is common to worry about them. The quality of life for elderly individuals can become quite strained when they begin to lose day-to-day independence. This is why we often rely upon technology to help keep them safe when we are not there to check-up on them.

One of the most common forms of tech used to check in on senior citizens includes the use of smoke alarms. This can also include carbon monoxide alarms and other monitors that help to keep their homes safe. However, with traditional alarms you need to be present to know they are going off. If an elderly relative or individual cannot act to the alarms trigger, or does not notice it, they could be put in needless danger. However, with wireless smoke and carbon monoxide alarms from WatchOvers, that can be avoided.

Our smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are designed to be managed from afar using a simple mobile application. It can be monitored by more than one family member/carer and means that if the alarm(s) go off then each watcher will be given an alert. These alerts are by SMS, phone call and by push notification.

These alarms can cover everything from smoke to carbon monoxide to water leaks. Now, if a tap is left on by mistake, or an unused bathroom has a leak, a family member can be easily alerted.

This is essential as elderly family members could have various reasons for missing an alarm, including:

• Hearing problems that limits their ability to notice the alarm going off
• Physical disabilities that could make attending to the alarm, or the issue, hard/impossible
• Medical trips, meaning they could be in hospital for a period of time leaving their home vacant
• Social trips, such as going away with friends or family, leaving their home unattended
• A large house that contains rooms with alarms that are not commonly used

Elderly alarms can offer much needed peace of mind

Designed to be extremely easy to install and set up, even for those without tech expertise, our alarm systems simplify a confusing process.

You can also build up and develop your own plans and systems as their needs grow. This includes the addition of SOS panic buttons, support SOS wristbands, and many other devices and features that you could feel are helpful. In short, WatchOvers makes sure that you do not have to worry about a friend or family member who is in their golden years. You can have all of the supports and alerts that you need to make sure that if something does go wrong you can swoop in to offer a simple and easy solution.

This might even include home security features like IP cameras for two-way conversations, video doorbells so they do not have to answer the door themselves, and much more. Now, as someone who is helping a senior relative get on with their life, you can handle their requirements as much as they need you to. This gives you peace of mind that they are safe, and allows your elderly family member to simply focus on the matters that they can deal with themselves.

Do not allow yourself to rely upon outdated technology that cannot provide the watchful vigilance the elderly need. With our excellent range of independent living products, you can make checking your parent’s wellbeing and adapting to modern Smart, Safe Living so much easier.

IP Cameras help you check your home when you are not there. When it comes to protecting our property today, we have many options available to us. Home security has become a major talking point for homeowners all across the country. Smart safe living is easier than ever to add into our homes, and this includes the use of home security. Among the best options for those looking for improved security at home, though, would be the use of IP cameras.

These cameras have been ideal for checking your home even when you are out and about, or even abroad. Why, though, should you consider buying such a product?

The benefits of using IP cameras for home security
 For one, IP cameras are very easy to install. Unlike other security camera products, these can be installed without the need for extensive wiring or permanent fitting that damages your home.
 You can also use IP cameras in many different settings. For example, many have these set up so they can watch their home from afar when they are traveling, working afar, or simply busy.
 IP camera setups can also be used to check on others, too (with their permission of course). For example, you could install an IP camera system to check on elderly family members.
 Checking up on dependents, such as children or pets, is also made easier with IP cameras. You can make sure your children have come home from school, or a pet is safe at home.
 At the same time, IP cameras come with a privacy setting so you can turn them on and off whenever you wish. If you want some peace and privacy, these can be switched off for that requirement.

There are various other benefits that go outside of this, too. For example, an IP camera can offer you excellent features such as:
 Live viewing on a high quality image, often around 1080P in quality. This makes making out everything from faces to identifiable clothing or markings much easier should you need to.
 The use of sensors to help spot movement or someone moving around; this is ideal for things like spotting potential trespassers on your property so that you can take action.
 Motion detection and night vision so that you can always see whether it is during the dark of night or the brightness of the afternoon.
 Recording systems that can allow for you to easily record content and make sure you always have proof of anything that might cause you concern or discomfort.
 Instant notifications that make sure you can easily spot potential issues or so that you can respond quickly.
 Two-way voice chat so that you can interact with anyone in your home.

IP cameras can make checking on your property from afar so much simpler
As you can see, then, there are a great many benefits to the installation of IP cameras. These can make it easier for you to interact with family, and generally manage your home from afar. Whether you are busy at work, relaxing on a beach somewhere this allows you to review your home and take action even if you are miles away from home.

Paired up with the easy installation and fitting process, and it is easy to see why IP cameras are the go-to option for people of all profiles today.