Simple Solutions to Prevent Falls

Falls can put you at risk for serious injury and are a leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries (including broken bones, head injuries, and bone fractures) for individuals over the age of 65. In addition to physical injuries, the pain and embarrassment of falling can make older adults become inactive, depressed, and anxious. If you or a loved one are at risk, take a few precautions that can help prevent falling.

Move More Consciously

Be more conscious of your body movement. This could mean taking the time to move more slowly from a sitting to standing position or taking a moment before ascending or descending stairs. Gathering yourself before you move can be a simple but effective way to prevent falling.

Aim to be Active

It might seem a bit unreasonable, but staying active will help to prevent falls. Engaging in regular exercise is important. Activities like water exercises, walking, dancing, and meditation can improve strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility, all of which can go a long way in preventing falls.

Have a Vision Checkup

Sometimes, something as simple as improving a current prescription or getting new glasses can help you improve your vision and help in preventing falls. Consult with a vision specialist to make the most of your eyesight. In addition to a vision checkup, it will benefit you to have an overall health assessment to check for things like dizziness, pain, and certain eye and ear disorders that can increase your risk of falls.

Communicate Current Health Conditions

Consult with a doctor about current health conditions and medications. Are you experiencing side effects from medications that make it more difficult to carry out once-simple routines? Perhaps you are forgetting to take them all together. If that is the case, it will help to establish a better tracking system to ensure you are getting the appropriate doses.

Make a Few Changes at Home

Taking a few precautions can limit the risk of falling in your home. Keeping your home clutter free, and removing hazards such as loose carpeting and slippery rugs can help prevent you from tripping over. Consider what else you can do to safeguard your home from danger, such as installing guard rails and non-slip mats in stairways and in the shower. If you are looking to make a bigger change, move into a single floor home to eliminate the need to move between floors.

With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can prevent painful and debilitating falls. For more information on health and rehabilitation, visit Waukesha Springs Health & Rehabilitation Center.

Caregiving Tips for the Sandwich Generation

The sandwich generation is a term to delegate people who are raising their children while simultaneously taking care of their aging parents. The sandwich generation has the double duty of multigenerational care, which can be both rewarding and exceptionally stressful. In order to provide the best quality care, these special kinds of caregivers must know how to balance a seemingly endless list of responsibilities while also taking care of their own needs. Learn how to balance your responsibilities without losing your own health below:

Prioritize

When it comes to multitasking responsibilities and duties, it’s integral to prioritize. Set short-term and long-term goals and get yourself organized. Think about how you can minimize your workload while still getting the most out of your day. Be flexible and adaptable to changing situations, and know when to delegate responsibilities. Prevent stress by sharing responsibilities with your siblings, spouse, and children. Chances are that your older children can participate in chores and household duties that will benefit the whole family.

Find Support

Find a network of support to help you through stressful times. Your partner can be a pillar of support, but seek comfort and encouragement from family members and friends as well. Consider seeking out support groups made of people who understand what you are going through in challenging and stressful times.

Learn to Handle Stress

Between the chores, responsibilities, engagements, and duties, the stress can amount quickly. It is crucial to learn how to decompress. The superhuman mentality of “I can do it all!” can be damaging. Learn when to pause and when to say “no.” It can be hard for caretakers to ask for help because they can see it as a failure to their family, but be forgiving on yourself and understand that one person cannot be expected to handle it all. It takes a village, after all.

Take Care of Yourself

It’s true what they say: If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of loved ones. Set aside time to take care of yourself. Follow a healthy diet, get proper sleep, and make time for adequate exercise; your physical health needs care, too! Remember to engage with friends and prioritize your passions; your emotional and mental health matter as well.


The sandwich generation might seem like a cute nickname, but the novelty wears off rather quickly. Take time for yourself, ask for help, and prioritize your family’s needs (as well as your own) and you’ll do just fine.

For more resources on comprehensive care services and resources for caregivers, visit Waukesha Springs Health & Rehabilitation Center.

How to Stay Connected With an Aging Parent

It can be difficult to connect with your parents at any age, but it can be especially tough to connect with elderly parents. Building a relationship is one thing, but maintaining a strong and close relationship can be another. Have a look below at how you can better connect with your aging parents:

Connect Through Technology

Communication across distances has become so much easier with the introduction of smartphones, instant messaging, and more. Get your parents comfortable with using smartphones, internet apps, and video chats to spend time together if you live far away. If your parents don’t have experience with this technology, take some time out of your weekend to teach them. Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter are seeing a rise in demographics from the older generation—this could be another way of bonding with them! Helping them to learn how to use technology can help them reconnect with other family members and friends.

Engage in New Hobbies Together

If you too often spend time together at home or at their assisted living facility, it may be time to venture out and do something new together. Take walks around a new park, visit a new restaurant, and see movies and theater shows together. If it is too difficult for your parent to be mobile, bring new experiences to them. Invite some friends over, cook your parents a delicious dinner, watch a new show, and introduce a new game. Experiencing something new together can build bonds and strengthen your relationship.

Share Stories

It can be hard to connect to your parents and older relatives (or anyone, for the matter) if you don’t share much in common. One way to reconnect is to share stories and memories together. This can be an excellent way to build bonds and to find common ground. Bringing along your kids can help them make bonds with your parents as well. Share stories and memories. Spend time together organizing family photos and passing down recipes, and more through the generations.

Make an effort to connect with your parents at every opportunity. Reconnecting, growing closer, and rebuilding those relationships now will make you happier in the long run.

Visit Waukesha Springs for more information on providing care to your aging parents.