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My 88 year old father's balance is not great when he wakes up. He is sometimes unsteady when he gets out of bed and has fallen once. Is it possible that he is dehydrated after a night's sleep? I don't think he drinks enough water. Is there guidance You could give me about that? Thanks,
There are numerous issues that could contribute to poor balance. It would be best to get an evaluation done to determine the cause. However, one small thing that you could suggest to your dad in the meantime, is to not stand immediately once he sits up in bed. He could sit up and just linger for a couple of minutes on the side of the bed. This may help with certain possible conditions that may be contributing. It is not a cure, but may stave off falls until you can get to the reason. If the falls are only occurring when he gets up from bed or a chair, this could be a good strategy. However, if there are more frequent balance issues, then the comprehensive evaluation would be even more critical.
Older adults particularly don't move as much when they sleep and ...we stiffen up a bit. As mentioned above, Getting up slowly and standing for at least the count of 10 before moving could be helpful. Further it may be helpful to do some range of motion in bed before getting up (ie bending the legs some and kicking them up and moving the arms).
