As your parents grow older, simple things like falling over pose a greater risk to their overall health. Learning that your parent has slipped can be scary for you, especially if you’re uncertain as to what to do next as you navigate this situation. Has your parent recently fallen in their own home or in public? If so, here’s how to help your elderly parent after a slip and fall accident.
Research attorneys who can help you file a fall claim against the property owner.
Falls can be dangerous for younger individuals, but they’re especially dangerous for seniors. According to the CDC, one out of five falls causes a serious injury like a head injury or broken bones. Beyond just the trauma that this causes to your parent, it also puts them at risk of developing infections in the hospital and sticks them with large medical bills that you and your parent may be unable to pay. If your parent fell in a business location or property with dangerous conditions that point to negligence, reaching out to a slip and fall lawyer to file a lawsuit against the landlord may allow you to recoup these costs so they can recover with less stress. When a slip and fall injury is involved, the right lawyer can help you build a strong slip and fall case.
If the slip and fall took place at home, create a safer environment.
Whether it’s wet floors or a lack of support as your parent was going down the stairs, there are a number of dangers that await seniors as they grow older in their own homes. The problem? While these dangers may be evident to you, your parent may be oblivious to them. They may only figure out it’s a problem when they become an injured person. One thing that you should do when your parent falls (and before, if possible) is creating an aging-in-place plan. An aging-in-place plan will help your parents understand some of the hazards that they may face in their own homes, what renovations or additions will need to be pursued in order to create a safer space, and who they can turn to in order to see this project through to completion.
In some cases, a two-story home or a home that requires extensive renovations may not be suitable for these types of plans. Instead, looking for a new home (if you can) may be a better way to save money and keep your parents safe in the process.
If you can’t care for them, find a service near you that can.
Whether you’re worried that your parent may fall again or they need continual medical attention and you can’t be home to help them, there are resources near you that can offer you and your parent the level of support you need. For example, medical daycares can provide fall victims with medical help as well as allow them to enjoy social activities, get their hair done, and eat hot, nutritious meals. If this is something that you think is good for your parent, you can find local services with a quick Google search like “adult medical day care in Belleville, NJ.”
Slip and falls are scary on their own. However, when your parent is the injury victim, the level of damage they may experience often surpasses that which younger individuals deal with. If one of your parents ends up falling because of hazardous conditions in their home or somewhere else, use the guide above to come up with a plan of action to take care of them and provide them with further support moving forward.
