FROM OUR EXPERT S
Caregiver Advice How to make a home senior safe Some practical advice from Upstate’s Marjorie Libling, a social worker specializing in geriatrics, for making your senior loved one’s home safe: in the
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Use a nonslip rubber mat for the tub, and also for the floor outside of the tub. Avoid loose towels or rugs on the floor, to reduce the chance of slipping.
Disconnect the stove if your loved one lives alone and is developing memory problems.
Consider guard rails that can help your loved one get in and out of bed.
bathroom:
Install grab bars in the bathing area, and invest in a proper shower stool that has rubber feet and a nonskid surface. Use a doorknob that cannot be locked, or one that can be unlocked from either side, in case your loved one suddenly needs assistance. Label the faucets “hot” and “cold,” and check the water temperature to make sure it is not hotter than 120o F. Encourage your loved one to bring a phone or a medical alert system into the bathroom in case he/she needs help. Get a weekly pill box or mechanical medication dispenser so your loved one does not have to open multiple pill bottles each day.
kitchen: Use coffee makers or electric kettles that shut off automatically, and label “on” and “off ” clearly on any appliances. Sheath knives in a drawer or store them safely in a block. Move cleaners and chemicals to another room to reduce the chance of mixing them with food products. Check perishables every week so your loved one doesn’t consume something that has spoiled. Keep high protein healthy snacks visible, as a reminder to eat. Dilute wine with water or swap it with nonalcoholic beverages to reduce your loved one’s alcohol intake. Alcohol does not mix well with memory impairment, unsteady gaits and/or prescription medications.
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What to do for chest pain Chest pain is one of the primary reasons people seek care at a hospital emergency room, and it can signal a variety of medical conditions, says William Paolo, MD, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Upstate University Hospital. Among the most serious is a heart attack or acute coronary syndrome. Differentiating heart attack-induced chest pain from other types of chest pain is tricky. “Your heart doesn’t have the same kind of nerves as your skin does. With your skin, when you have pain you can pinpoint where that is; that’s called somatic pain. When you have heart pain or pain in your internal organs, that is supplied by a different system; that’s called visceral pain. It’s very vague and nonspecific, more generalized. Sometimes you’ll feel like it’s in the middle of your chest, sometimes in your neck.”
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bedroom & living room: Minimize blankets and pillows on the bed, so there is less to fall off, and keep floors uncluttered to reduce the risk of tripping. Tuck away power cords and label remote controls with simple “on” and “off” instructions. Replace any burned out light bulbs, and strategically place automatic nightlights in outlets to assure safe navigation at night. Use rug pads or tack down rugs with nails to help prevent falls. If your loved one refuses to quit smoking, establish one “safe” smoking spot that is away from the bed, the stove and any chemicals. Consider taking control of bank and credit accounts. Television shopping networks or online buying can become an addiction, and your loved one may find it impossible to say no to telemarketers.
Doctors pay attention to associated symptoms, as well: Is the person sweating, nauseous or short of breath? Paolo says it’s simple: If you have chest pain you have never experienced before, get to the hospital emergency room. If you are with someone who suffers chest pain: • s it them down and make sure they do not exert themselves, • c all 911 for an ambulance, so that paramedics will be able to start treatment, and • c onsider giving an aspirin, a blood thinner, as long as the person is not allergic. Listen to an interview at upstate.edu/healthlinkonair by searching “chest pain.”
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