Debra Jager Home Instead Senior Care

My father is a proud man who lives alone, but who has been having some falls lately. He does have a medic alarm, but refuses to push it when he falls.

We only pop in on him every 2-3 days and although he has friends regularly popping in on him too, I am worried about the fact that he could be lying on the floor for a long period and no one knows. Do you have any thoughts on what we might do?

This is a very hard one. I take it neither you nor your father would consider a rest home? If he is not going to push his alarm and it is becoming an ongoing concern, you may have to look at this as an option. Is he getting enough Vitamin D is also another thing to consider. A lack of vitamin D has been linked to falls – staying inside out of the sun means very little vitamin being received, though this is a cheap thing to purchase from a pharmacy or health shop. Some private companies do a ‘Falls Prevention Programme' which may be of some assistance. Try Restart Rehab or The Synergy Wellness Centre to find out more about these programmes.

Friends and the services of a company like Home Instead Senior Care can be of some assistance, whether it is to call in at certain times of the day or to be there all day. Home Instead Senior Care can certainly have a caregiver stay there during the day or for 24 hours, but I get the feeling that your father is mostly capable of looking after himself and this is not an option. While a mix of friends and a company like ours can be of some assistance, it does not cover the short fall when no one is around and he falls. Short of explaining he will have to go into a rest home if he does not push his alarm or looking at some of these other options – or he moves in with you or another family member or friend – it is very hard for me to give advice. I am sorry in this instance. It is something you will have to talk through with your father and come to an understanding over. I wish you well.