America has a large and healthy senior citizen population that is getting bigger by the day. Yes, the baby boomers are arriving as the senior (sonic) boom. Living independently is the most desirable "hope" for almost all of these proud American seniors and their families. Assisted living is expensive, limited, and not entirely trusted. But leaving grandmother in her own home alone raises anxiety to the entire family. What if she gets sick or a fire traps her in the home? What if a home invasion occurs? Or, what if she falls and gets hurt? This is the most likely scenario to happen. One third of the senior population falls in an average year, with 70% of the falls occurring within the home.
In 2006 we had the following statistics from the Center of Disease Control (CDC).
- 37 million American seniors
- 11 million of these reported a fall in 2006.
- 1.6 million Received treatment in the emergency room.
- 850,000.00 suffered fractures.
- 12,800 died.
- 40% of all nursing home admissions are a result of a fall.
The CDC recommends four things to reduce falls:
- Start exercising (like Tai Chi)
- Review your medications (some cause blurred vision)
- Have your vision checked
- Make your home safer and softer
The American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation recommends six additional things:
1. Increase the lighting in your home and have a night light.
2. Remove things from the floor and make sure rugs are well secured.
3. Secure showers and baths with handrails and non-slip floors
4. Restrict pet movements to areas of your home.
5. Wear good shoes with non-skid soles
6. Maintaining a healthy diet with calcium and vitamin D
If you do fall, and do not have a medical alert system, here are instructions from the National Institute of Health on what to do:
A sudden fall can be startling and frightening. If you fall, try to stay calm. Take a few deep breaths to help you relax.
1. Roll over onto your side and push yourself up into a seated position.
2. Rest while your body and blood pressure adjust.
3. Slowly get up on your hands and knees, and crawl to a sturdy chair.
4. Put your hands on the chair seat and slide one foot forward so that it is flat on the floor. Keep the other leg bent so the knee is on the floor.
5. From this kneeling position, slowly rise and turn your body to sit in the chair.
If you're hurt or can't get up, ask someone for help or call 911. If you're alone, try to get into a comfortable position and wait for help to arrive.
One of the best precautions a senior and their families can take is to buy a Medical Alert System and subscribe to the monitoring service. This way, when grandmother is home alone, she really isn't totally alone. The medical alert system and service are there, in the background quietly standing by so if grandma gets into trouble all she has to do is summon for help by pressing her medical alert pendant. Within seconds she will hear a reassuring voice over the speaker phone of a dispatcher. Once the situation is assessed the appropriate first responders will be dispatched. The dispatcher will also notify family or friends that grandmother had to be taken to the hospital. In essence, the medical alert system and service provide peace of mind not only for the grandma, but the entire family.
See the Fall Prevention handbook produced by the CDC for more information on the risks of seniors falling.
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