50+ Lifestyles

Your Advocacy Connection

By Gail Glockhoff-Long
GolderCare Solutions

Fall Safety

Fall is here. Fall brings to mind two safety lessons – Fire safety and Falling safety.

Back in my school days and time as a teacher, October meant Fire Protection Month. Every school did timed fire drills. We were timed on how fast we could evacuate the building to a safe distance. In a later job each floor had ‘fire marshals’ that knew how to use the fire extinguisher and checked the rest rooms to make sure everyone was out. If someone needed extra help getting down the stairs quickly, they were assigned a person to help get them out. We drilled so everyone knew what to do.

What about in our homes and our older family members and friends living at home. A major concern, especially if someone is living at home that has any level of dementia or confusion, is if they would be able to safely exit the house in case of fire. Dementia takes away that automatic response drilled into us as children.

Other aspects of home fires also change as we age. Think about how we are alerted to fire. We usually smell it even before a smoke alarm goes off. Smell is often a sense that diminishes or is lost with age. We then rely on the smoke alarms. Are there enough smoke alarms in the house? Are they working? Have we checked the battery? Are they loud enough to hear even when you take off your hearing aids?

Is there a plan for what to do once out of the house? Does Dad take his cell phone and call when he gets outside? Does Mom go to the neighbor to call 911? Does the neighbor know that is part of the plan? Does everyone living in the house have 1 location to meet up once they are outside so you know everyone is safe? Take October to plan and practice a home fire drill.

That brings us to falling safety. Falling, at any age, can be caused by many things – medications, medical issues including heart and neuropathy concerns, vision, uneven surfaces, things on the floor, rugs, and ice or other slippery surfaces. I recently read that every 13 seconds an older adult is seen in an emergency department for a fall-related injury. So, what can we do to reduce our chance of being part of that statistic?

Review your medications, medical issues and vision with your medical providers so concerns are addressed and prescriptions are up to date. Consider an exercise class to improve balance. New glasses often take time to adjust to – especially when going down stairs. I wear progressive trifocal glasses. Every time I get a new pair I have to be extra
cautious on stairs until I adjust to the new lenses.

Next, put on your objective glasses and walk through your house. Are there tripping hazards like frayed carpet, things on the floor, or rugs that can catch or toes or slip? Can you remedy these hazards? Do you have a non-slip mat in your bath tub or shower? Are stair railings secure? My very elderly neighbor never carried things up or down the stairs. She would line up things at the top and the bottom for the young man that did her yard work to run up and down. She knew her safety limits and created an alternate plan.

Now let’s look at the outside. Are hoses and dog chains out of the way? Is the walk well lit? Is the concrete even?

I suffered a recent fall. It was caused by the landscaping technique where a trench is dug between the sidewalk and the grass to keep the grass from growing onto the sidewalk. Unfortunately, that can be very dangerous – especially in the dark or rain when the trench becomes invisible. Bottom line – you can never take too many precautions.

GolderCare Solutions Unlimited, LLC is an independent care advocacy group for seniors, the disabled and those that care for them. You can reach GolderCare at (309) 764-2273 and learn more at www.goldercare.com.

Gail Glockhoff-Long is a Benefits Advocate and Insurance Specialist at GolderCare Solutions. You can reach Gail by calling (309) 764-2273 or visit www.goldercare.com for more information.