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Changes in the Senses Can Mean an Increased Risk of Injury at Home
At first, changes in the senses that naturally occur as we age can be frustrating. Vision changes, hearing loss, and the dulling of other senses can make activities less enjoyable, communication more difficult, food a bore, and odors difficult to detect. But more than an annoyance, sensory changes can lead to a higher risk of sustaining an injury in the home. If your loved one lives independently at home, monitoring the condition of her senses is essential for determining what types of interventions she needs to continue living safely at home. BrightStar Care of Schaumburg is standing by for the time when your loved one needs more help than you can provide. Our compassionate and experienced personal care attendants can help with any of the activities of daily living that are becoming increasingly difficult or dangerous due to sensory changes.How Changing Senses Pose Dangers to the Elderly As we age, the structures of our sense organs change, and as a result, simple tasks become more difficult.
- Vision changes typically include the inability to see well in dim or very bright lights, and glares from windows can be temporarily blinding. Reading medication bottles becomes nearly impossible, and dosing mistakes are common. The risk of falling increases as the vision changes and peripheral vision declines.
- Hearing loss can result in difficulty communicating, and hearing things like someone knocking on the door or civil sirens going off can result in frustration or danger. The loss of balance that often comes with changing ear structures can leave seniors more vulnerable to falls while performing daily activities like showering, preparing meals, and keeping house.
- A dulled sense of taste can lead to a reduced appetite and disinterest in food, which can result in malnourishment.
- A dulled sense of smell can prevent seniors from detecting dangers like spoiled food, smoke, and gas leaks.
- A dulled sense of touch can lead seniors to underestimate the severity of injuries or medical conditions that require attention, like appendicitis or a urinary tract infection. It can also increase the risk of falling as it becomes increasingly difficult to determine the position of the body in relation to the floor.