Five Tips if Your Senior Is Battling Vertigo
November 4, 2021
Vertigo is a specific condition that most people describe as feeling dizzy. But it’s a little more than that and vertigo can be an issue because of a variety of other health issues. It can also be a problem all on its own.
Sit up and Stand up Slowly
Speed is not necessarily your senior’s friend if she’s prone to attacks of vertigo. She should always sit up and stand up very slowly to make sure that she doesn’t accidentally end up off balance and therefore falling. A good rule to follow is to sit up and pause for five seconds before trying to take the next step in the process.
Stay Seated if a Vertigo Attack Is Happening
If your elderly family member does feel a vertigo attack coming on, it’s important that she doesn’t try to stand up. She should stay seated or lying down and wait for the episode to pass. Once she’s no longer feeling the symptoms of vertigo, she can try standing up.
Stay on Top of Water Intake
Hydration is always something your senior needs to be on top of, but it’s even more important when she’s dealing with health issues. Double check with her doctor about how much water is the right amount for your senior to drink regularly. Then you can help her to aim for working up to consistently drinking that amount every day.
Use Assistive Tools for Support
Seniors who are particularly prone to vertigo may find that an attack can crop up out of almost nowhere. The might even mean that your senior could find herself walking along just fine and suddenly feel dizzy. Assistive tools, like a walker or a cane, may be necessary in order to help her to stay as safe as possible as she walks.
Hire Senior Home Care Providers
Any time that your senior may have a greater risk of falling or might need more help with anything at all, having home care providers there with her can be a huge relief. Senior home care providers are able to assist your senior in all sorts of ways without compromising her independence. Whatever can make your senior’s life easier and safer, they’re able to help make happen.
Vertigo is not fun at all, but there’s no sense in your senior being unsafe as well. Talk with her doctor about what else she can try in order to manage her vertigo as well as possible.