Eating right and exercising can also play a part in avoiding serious accidents. Each year one in every three adults age 65 and older suffers a fall, according to the National Safety Council. The NSC also found that the risk of falling increases exponentially at 75 years old and again at age 80 and older. Greenbrier’s Skilled Rehabilitation Unit sees a number of individuals referred by doctors and hospitals after surgery from fractures that can result from a bad tumble. Their goal is to work with them in both physical and occupational therapy to help them get back on their feet. In fact, Greenbrier’s Skilled Rehab Unit is the only free standing facility in Enid with a full time physical therapy director since the unit was built. Director Dan Burchel explains that the most frequent place falls occur is bathrooms. Installing railings in the bathroom and purchasing a taller toilet seat can make the process smoother and safer. In fact railings throughout your house is a great way to prevent accidents, especially along problem areas like stairs. Other suggestions include throwing away throw rugs and always wearing shoes with non-skid soles. The National Safety Council advocates having your vision tested at least once a year and getting walkers or canes properly sized by professionals. There are things you can do now if you are concerned about your aging loved ones. Check in with a doctor to make sure older patients are taking their medicine and are doing well living independently. There can also come a time when you need to discuss if the most appropriate option may be to move into a senior living facility.
DIAGRAM:
Safety Measures in the Bathroom: 1. A taller toilet for easier rising and descent. 2. Secured railings besides the toilet or bedside commode placed over the toilet; offer tactile parameters and give lateral support holds for transfer and clothing management. 3. Remove throw rugs. 4. Use a night-light. 5. Use a transfer tub bench and hand held shower nozzle. 6. Use an adjustable height shower chair with back and a hand held shower nozzle and grab bars. 7. Keep your cell phone or cordless phone nearby during bathing Signs that you may need to begin to use an assistive device: 1. You find yourself holding onto furniture when you walk through the house. 2. You shuffle your feet when you walk. 3. You freeze up when you have to step up or down a stair or curb. 4. Use of a shopping cart makes you feel more secure. 5. You have fallen at least twice in the last 3 months.
They say, “home is where the heart is” and as you are faced with deciding where your “heart” belongs, remember to educate yourself on your options. Senior living has come a long way from the poorhouses of old. Gone is the institutionalized feel replaced instead with options geared to provide whatever it is the millions of aging Americans desire: Options that can free loved ones from the obligations, stressors and isolation of growing old at home. Here in Oklahoma, programs implemented by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) ensure facilities provide standard care. They also are creating a cultural change among senior communities by promoting a home environment where residents get to make their own choices, a concept Greenbrier Village has taken and run with. “Each apartment or room with a resident in it is that person’s home within the big community and that’s how it’s set up,” explains Kay Grey who says all Greenbrier facilities employ the “home approach”. Grey serves as a marketing consultant to Greenbrier and has experience in medical management and healthcare marketing. In fact, for over ten years, the Homes of Greenbrier has been teaching and training others how to transition into a Home Care setting with the program: “Welcome Home Oklahoma Project”. The other major shift throughout senior living facilities is the focus on maintaining residents’ independence. For example across every level of housing offered at Greenbrier Village residents make their own choices about what they want to eat, their daily schedule and what activities they want or don’t want to participate in. Seniors today have a choice. Many desire to hold onto their current physical residence yet that can come at a cost. Not only can the day-to-day chores and upkeep become overwhelming there are threats of isolation, depression and safety. For some, moving into a senior community may be the best option. “Leaving their physical residence called home and making a new home at a new place where opportunities await you can improve both the senior’s physical and emotional health,” states Long. “It’s all about finding the most appropriate setting for your loved one.” Long goes on to say moving into a senior community can actually be a freeing experience for older generations. “The freedom comes from becoming more independent again, becoming more social, more secure and having to cope less with the environment and just enjoy the purpose in living.” Growing older is a process, a long process. Modern medicine means the average lifespan is increasing into the late seventies. Long encourages everyone to use the information presented throughout the Growing Through the Years with Grace series to educate and empower yourself on the choices you and your loved ones have as you age. “It’s all about helping you enrich your lives and your relationships,” concludes Long.