Fall Prevention is NOT a Balancing Act - How Staying Healthy Prevents Falls

We recently talked a little bit about making home a little safer for seniors. Making sure your loved ones are navigating an obstacle course at home every day can go a long way towards preventing a bad fall, but overall health and strength are really important, too.

The older we get, the more we have a tendency to just take it easy when we have some down time - I know I do! But sitting around, or being fearful of getting active can actually make mom & dad more prone to falling. Let’s look at some healthy lifestyle tips that can help prevent falls:

Regular exercise. An exercise program builds strength and stamina – from heart and lungs to muscle strength. Exercise also boosts energy and helps with depression. Whether it’s physical therapy, a few steps a day, light weight training or just stretching, exercise helps sharpen our natural balancing skills and improves our reflexes – at any age!

Diet. A healthy diet, supplemented with vitamins, can still help keep bones and muscles in good condition, even when we get older. Eating right isn’t just for kids! Don’t let dad have ice cream for dinner – make sure he gets some broccoli before he hits the Blue Bell. Vitamin D and extra Calcium can help as well.

Eye exams. Take mom and dad to get their eyes checked at least once a year – and more often if there is a noticeable change or problem with their vision. Wearing the wrong glasses can result in tripping over objects, misjudging distance or becoming a little disoriented – and all can lead to a fall.

Medications. Many meds have subtle side effects – including blurred vision or dizziness. Many older people also take multiple medications – both prescription and over the counter – that can interact to produce side effects as well. Make sure your loved ones’ primary physician knows ALL the medicines mom and dad are using on a regular basis and how they can affect them.

Medical conditions. Chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and COPD can cause dizziness and shortness of breath – which make us unsteady on our feet. Being aware of these conditions and taking extra precautions can help prevent an unnecessary fall.

In addition keeping a close eye on the overall health and well-being of the seniors in your care, you may want to think about an alarm system for a little peace of mind in case there is a fall. Alert Response offers the Personal Emergency Response Service (PERS), giving emergency help 24 hours a day. Staying as active as possible, eating right and seeing a doctor regularly can make a big difference, but it’s nice to know that extra help is there when we need it most.

Get Smart About Senior Care Costs

There are a variety of options available for any budget.

It's never too early to plan care for an aging loved one.
Before their health begins to decline, you and your family
need to agree on the kind of care they need, and how it will
be paid for.

To get an idea of the average costs of popular senior care
options, see below. And keep in mind that while your loved
one may be fine with occasional care now, they could need
more serious and expensive care in the future.

So, How much does it cost?

In-Home Technology
Personal Emergency Response (Medical Alarm)
Allows your loved one to age in place while having the ability to summon help 24 hours a day in the event of an emergency.
Cost:$37 per month.

Medication Management via a monitored medication dispenser
Dispenses medication up to 4 times per day. In the event of a missed dosage the unit notifies a live operator who then notifies family members or caregivers of the missed dosage.
Cost :47 per month.

In-Home Care
Enables your loved one to stay at home throughout every stage
of aging.
Cost: $29 per hour on average, but costs vary. (Source: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services).

Assisted Living
Offers your loved one an independent lifestyle, with trained
personnel on the premises to attend to their needs.
Cost: $36,372 per year (Source: MetLife Market Survey of
Nursing Home and Assisted Living Costs).

Nursing Homes
For elders who cannot care for themselves or have
significant medical issues that require round-the-clock
care.
Cost: Private room, $77,380; semi-private room, $69,715
(Source: MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home and
Assisted Living Cost).

Occasional Care
Periodic assistance with lawn care, transportation, and
grocery shopping. Cost varies according to need.

Thank you ElderCarelink

Signs that your loved one might need help

Next time you are visting a friend or relative, spend some time checking for signs that they might need help. Often times older adults in an effort to remain independent try to hide things that might cause concern for loved ones. Use the list below to help spot issues that might raise a red flag.

a. Daily housework not being performed
i. Tired
ii. Overwhelmed
iii. Forgetting

b. Mail piling up
i. Overwhelmed with amount of mail
ii. Constant letters from people asking for donations

c. Bills not being paid
i. Checking account not balanced
ii. Services being shut off

d. Weight loss
i. Shopping and food preparation not being done
ii. Eating habits changing

e. No food in refrigerator or spoiled food

f. Kitchen in disarray
i. Dishes piling up
ii. Pots with burned bottoms
iii. Water and mildew stains where water was left on
iv. Food left out

g. Poor hygiene
i. Wearing same clothing
ii. Not bathing regularly

h. Inappropriate clothing
i. Unseasonal clothes worn i.e. bathing suit in winter or sweater in the summer
ii. Clothes left off

i. Missing scheduled events
i. Church
ii. Doctors appointments
iii. Medications

j. Acting strange
i. Unusual conversations
ii. Phone calls at odd times
iii. Strange anxiety or nervousness

k. Depression
i. Sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, oversleeping, or daytime sleepiness)
ii. Sadness
iii. Fatigue
iv. Abandoning or losing interest in hobbies or other pleasurable pastimes
v. Social withdrawal and isolation (reluctance to be with friends, engage in activities, or leave home)
vi. Weight loss; loss of appetite
vii. Loss of self-worth (worries about being a burden, feelings of worthlessness, self-loathing)
viii. Increased use of alcohol or other drugs
ix. Fixation on death; suicidal thoughts or attempts

If you have concerns feel free to contact our office, 972.318.0161, or visit us online at www.alertresponse.com.

Increased Security

No, we haven't started offering body guard detail, but we are increasing security here at Alert Response. We are excited to now offer vital signs monitoring in addition to emergency response and medication management.
Vital signs monitoring increases security and independence for individuals with a wide range of illnesses by allowing them to communicate daily with their doctors and health care providers while remaining in the comfort of their own home.
Vital signs are monitored through an easy to use modem that connects to the client’s phone jack. Each day the client takes their vitals and with the push of a button that information is communicated to the Care Center. If the client’s vital signs are out of line with set expectations or if vital signs are not received the client or necessary health professionals are contacted.

Blood pressure, pulse, blood oxygen levels, weight, blood sugar, glucose and exhalation can all be monitored. This is imperative for patients with a wide range of illnesses including, but not limited to diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma, and COPD.
Contact us today to see if Vital Sign Monitoring can provide security for you, your loved ones, or clients.

Staying on your feet

As we grow older falling becomes a part of a lot of peoples lives and the aftermath of a fall can be very traumatic and costly. People who have fallen often spend weeks and sometimes months in the hospital trying to recover physically and mentally. Rehab centers are full of people spending hours upon hours in physical therapy to regain strength and confidence. I have heard horror stories of healthy older people falling and spending 12 or 15 hours laying on a bathroom floor or out on the back patio with no way to get help.

So what can we do? Well the best way to combat a fall is to try and prevent a fall. There a minor things we can do order to make our home safer and easier to ambulate around. Some of them might seem like common sense but they are still things people might not think about. Below is a list that might help you or a loved one prevent a fall sometime in the future.

1. In the mornings make sure you take your time getting up. All too often people wake up and immediately stand and begin to walk to the kitchen or bathroom. This can cause dizziness and sometimes blackouts. Give yourself time to sit up in bed and move your feet to the floor. Spend a couple minutes sitting in the upright position and then stand. If you are not feeling normal then sit down and wait a few more minutes and try again. Have a cane, walker, or some sort of aid to help in case you do not feel 100%.

2. Eliminate potential hazards. Below is a list of items that you may not have thought about but could potentially cause a fall.
-Wet floors
-Loose mats on slippery floors
-Dusty floors
-Sloped floors and uneven surfaces
-Loose or worn carpet and flooring
-Cables or wiring crossing a walking path
-Clutter in hallways and walkways

3. Medication management. Medication mismanagement is a big problem in the aging community and is the cause of a countless number of falls. Check with doctors and make sure the prescribed medications you are taking are not going to affect balance. Make sure the correct dosages are being taken and at the right times.

4. Understand limitations and don't be afraid to ask for help. If a light bulb needs to be changed or something heavy needs to be moved then ask for help. I can't tell you the amount of light bulbs I changed in the 5 years of installing emergency response units for the elderly.

5. Embrace technology. Because of the speed at which technology advances people become intimidated by new products. A lot of the products in the gerontological industry are meant to assist clients in being safe. Consult a caregiver or nurse and find out what products might be helpful. An emergency response button might not prevent a fall but it can build peace of mind and confidence knowing that if there is a fall then help is just a touch of a button away.

If you have any questions please visit us at http://www.alertresponse.com/ or call our office.

"Young men think old men are fools; but old men know young men are fools."
-George Chapman

Thanks for reading,
Matt

A Little Wobbly

I have recently started a new hobby in my life...worrying about my parents. It seems that I get more and more obsessed with the well being of my father especially. I describe him as "a little wobbly" but let's face it, he is prone to falls. The irony is that he started an emergency response company 17 years ago. For those of you who are not familar with what emergency response is then just think back to the 80's when you saw a commercial of an elderly lady on the floor yelling "help I've fallen and I can't get up."
Growing up and working for this business I have installed and serviced thousands of clients but not until recently have I realized what peace of mind this type of equipment provides not necessarily to the client but the clients family. It's not only equipment like emergency response, but it's the thousands upon thousands of people in this industry that make the aging process for our loved ones more comfortable. This industry amazes me with the selflessness of the many volunteers and educators that put forth there time and effort in order to make the final stages of life a little easier.
My goal as a first time blogger is to use the knowledge and experience that I have received during my time at Alert Response to maybe help out someone who may be experiencing something similar to what I am beginning to go through. I plan on sharing information about home health care, hospice, medicare, medicaid, and anything else I can think of that might impact someones decision for their loved ones. I might even share a few funny and interesting stories that come my way.

"Sure I'm helping the elderly. I am going to be old myself someday."
-Lillian Carter


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Learn more at www.alertresponse.com