MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
September 22, 2016 is FALL PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY. The National Council on Aging is offering a live online watch on Facebook as they walk through a house and demonstrate fall safety strategies and tips!
Did you know that falls are the leading cause of injury and injury deaths for older adults? That one in three Americans 65 and older falls each year? And that every thirteen seconds an older adult is treated in the Emergency Room for a fall?
I was at a client’s house recently doing a home assessment for her Mother Ruth (not her real name) who is in her 80’s. Ruth lives alone in her own home, a 1960’s ranch house that has never been remodeled or updated in order for Ruth to safely age in place. According to her daughter, Ruth has been having issues lately related to falls, although she has never personally witnessed Ruth’s falls. Only after the daughter questions Ruth about the bruises on her arms and legs does Ruth confess she’s had a fall.
Home assessments allow me to witness how the homeowner manages to perform activities of daily living and make the necessary recommendations for modifications to the home to keep the occupants safe. I asked Ruth to show me her bedroom so I could determine how safely she gets in and out of bed, what she uses for balance when dressing and the lighting used to find her way around the bedroom and to the bathroom at night.
We began walking down the typical dark hallway to her bedroom when Ruth stopped midway beneath the hallway light. She removed the short step ladder leaning against the wall, opened it up, and began climbing it using the wall for support. While spotting her, I asked Ruth what she was planning on doing and she said, “Turn on the light.” The step ladder allowed her to reach up to the hallway light bulb which she began to turn until it lit up. Then she proceeded to climb down the step ladder, fold it up and lean it back up against the wall.
When I asked Ruth how long she had been using the step ladder to turn on the hallway light she replied, “Since the pull chain broke.”
It got me to thinking…
Why is it that we always modify the way we behave to suit the needs of our home (regardless of how unsafe it is) but never think to modify our home to suit our aging needs? A good solution for Ruth is the Snap Power guide lights! Click on the picture on the right here to see the video on this product. I don’t normally promote aging in place products unless I’ve actually seen it or used it myself. My curiosity got the best of me on these Snap Power guide lights
so I ordered one and it performs just as indicated in the video. It installs easily and performs brilliantly. The LED lights turn on and off automatically from a light sensor and it is inexpensive to install and operate!
When I see something that I know will help seniors age in place safely, I want to shout it from the rooftops! I don’t receive any remuneration for promoting this product, just the joy of knowing that it may help to prevent someone from falling in a dark hallway, like Ruth.
What modifications would you like to have completed in your home or that of a loved one to safely age in place?
Cheers,
Marcia
P.S. The National Council on Aging (ncoa.org) was having problems with their website when I published this post so don’t get discouraged! I’m sure they’ll have it fixed before the 22nd!