Falls Killing as Many Seniors as Vehicular Accidents!

Fall prevention, fall prevention, fall prevention......that is something that we stress over and over with our home care aides at Right at Home. I was forwarded an article from The Boston Globe yesterday titled

Fatal falls soar among the elderly in Mass.

In 2006, there was a drastic rise in the number of deaths that the Department of Public Health saw among the elderly in Massachusetts. It has been said that almost 25% of all elders that take a fall will die as a direct result of that fall. We have had two former clients that fell (not when we were working) and died from the fall. It is heartbreaking for the families, because they really did not understand the full impact a fall could have on their loved one, outside of broken bones or a stint in rehab. It is happening in long term care facilities, at home, outside....anywhere. Because of various conditions, including mascular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, blood pressure changes and many, many others elders are falling because they are attempting to do their normal activities, but they do not sometimes understand how limiting their physical condition can be. Please keep your elder safe. Have someone come to the house to do a safety evaluation, get rid of throw rugs, keep an elder's glasses by their bed, etc.

Having in home supportive care can help, because when an elder needs to move, an aide who is trained in ambulation assistance and fall prevention may be there for the moment that an elder feels weak. And even if an elder does fall, in long term care or at home, it is imperative that someone is there to get them up. I have heard of cases where people have been alone at home, and they couldn't get up. They were cold and suffering for hours. This is not a well repeated Lifeline commercial (I've fallen and I can't get up!). This is very serious and it is a VERY good idea for someone to have Lifeline. The only downside is that the elder needs to be aware to press the button or have the short term memory to remember.

If there is a fall, Right at Home aides are trained to call 911 to have EMT's come and help them. An aide should NEVER pick up an elder by themselves. This could lead to both of them falling.

Fall prevention is the one of the keys to elder safety.

Merrimack Valley Alzheimer's Conference

The 20th Annual Merrimack Valley Alzheimer’s Conference is slated for Saturday, April 26, at the Wyndham Andover Hotel in Andover, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The educational conference, designed for family members and professionals caring for people afflicted with Alzheimer's or dementia, is co-sponsored by Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and Merrimack Valley Azheimer's Partnership. The conference will also feature vendor displays of products and services that help and support Alzheimer's patients and caregivers. To register or for more information call 978-946-1321. (believe it or not there is no web link that I can send you to).

Please visit Lynne Nieman at the Right at Home table to learn about our Alzheimer's support services in the Merrimack Valley.

Interesting Alzheimer's Article

I was forwarded a link to a the New York Times website for an article that they did regarding Alzheimer's called Zen and the Art of Coping with Alzheimer's. It is very concise, and sometimes depressing, but what it talks about the current thinking on the attitude of the adult caregiver. It talks to the technique of being "OK" with seemingly irrational behavior and jumbled conversation. It also speaks to the technique of redirecting an Alzheimer's person when they are following a tangent that could be disagreeable or potentially dangerous.

The depressing piece was about the drug companies and how the Alzheimer's drugs have a very marginal effect on the disease, but desperate families will try anything to slow down the progression of the disease. It also noted, that the current political climate is not showing any commitment to bringing more resources to the Alzheimer's and dementia table. With the aging of the baby boomers and the continued growth in the Alzheimer's population, this is a train that the politicians will not be able to avoid for long.

My father once said that he did not want to outlive his mind after seeing the effect of the Alzheimer's on a close family member. Our bodies are more healthy than any generation of people has ever experienced. How do we keep our minds healthy? There are suggestions, but there is no silver bullet. There is no supplement or drug that can help us avoid Alzheimer's. All we can do as a society, right now, is to love the Alzheimer's people we know, and meet them where they are at- because they have lost the ability to meet us.