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Look Out For Paws and Claws: Pets Can Cause Serious Falls

03 May

Emergency Response CorpWhile there is great emotional and cognitive benefit for an elderly person to have a loving pet providing hours of mental and physical stimulation everyday, we have to remember that sometimes our dogs and cats can find their way under foot and into trouble. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 21,000 elderly Americans are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for falls associated with their four legged friends, and their injuries account for nearly one-fourth of all the fractures, contusions, sprains, and lacerations caused by falls attributed to cats and dogs overall.

“Pets, particularly dogs and cats, can be wonderful companions that provide many health benefits for older adults,” said Dr. Thomas A. Cavalieri, a geriatrician and the dean of the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine. “At the same time, falls are a particularly serious health hazard for the elderly. When an older person falls, there’s a one-in-three chance that the result will be a fracture, which could mean an extended period of convalescence or even permanent disability or premature death.”

Dr. Cavalieri advises those who look after an elderly person with a pet to follow these steps to help safeguard against unfortunate accidents:
Make sure pets – especially dogs – are obedience trained to walk calmly on a leash and to not jump on visitors.
Discourage pets from lying next to beds at night or at the foot of chairs.
Don’t leave pet toys in the middle of the floor.
If you have an older friend or relative with a dog, offer to go along on walks so that you can handle the leash.
The full CDC report can be found at this link: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5811a1.htm

 
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Posted in EARS, Elder Care, Fall Prevention, Home Safety, Prevention

 

Study Regarding the Elderly and Dangers of Crossing the Road

03 May

Emergency Response CorpWhy did Mom cross the road? Well, we may never know if she was over 60 and was talking on the phone. As it turns out, people who listen to music while crossing a busy (simulated) street fared just as well as non-distracted pedestrians in a recent study. However, those on cell phones fared much worse, particularly those who were at higher risk to falls.

“Many people assume that walking is so automatic that really nothing will get in the way,” said University of Illinois psychology professor Art Kramer, who led the research with psychology professor Jason McCarley and postdoctoral researcher Mark Neider. “And walking is pretty automatic, but actually walking in environments that have lots of obstacles is perhaps not as automatic as one might think.”

“Older adults on the phone got run over about 15 percent more often” than those not on the phone, he said, and those with a history of falling fared even worse.
“So walking and talking on the phone while old, especially, appears to be dangerous,” he said.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2009, November 18)

 
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Posted in Fall Prevention, Mobility Issues, Prevention

 

Exercise to Music: Piano is Key to Fewer Falls

21 Apr

Personal Response Corp

According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, elderly individuals who participated in a six month study showed improved balance, and a reduction in both the rate of falls and the risk of falling. The study involved older people living in a community setting over the age of 65, and was based upon the conceit that most at risk individuals fall while walking and/or engaged in concurrent activities. Translation: doing two things at once places those most prone to falling at greater risk. Those involved in the study were trained slowly to exercise and move to the music, thereby acclimating their body control to unpredictable patterns, while the control group merely exercised normally. Those exercising with music experienced nearly 100% less falls as a group when compared to those in the control.

The study showed “that participation in music-based multitask exercise classes once a week over a 6-month period can improve gait performance under single and cognitive-motor, dual-task conditions, as well as improve balance, and reduce both the rate of falls and the risk of falling in at-risk elderly community-dwelling adults,” the authors conclude. “Our findings suggest that this program may be useful for fall prevention and rehabilitation in community-based setting such as senior centers.”

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/171/6/525

 
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Posted in Elder Care, Fall Prevention, Mobility Issues, Prevention

 

Detecting Those at Greater Risk for Falls

21 Apr

Personal Response CorpIt appears there is a strong correlation between balance and cognitive ability, according to a study by Indiana University. The findings seem to point out the following: The greater the degree of mental health and general awareness in a subject, the more likely they are to be physically balanced and exhibit less postural sway, and therefor be less likely to endure a serious fall. The goal of the study is to develop a simple questionnaire used by caregivers to quickly and painlessly suggest if a patient is at greater risk.

From Sciencedaily.com:
“…Motor control experts in the School of HPER’s Department of Kinesiology are searching for a way to alert the elderly to when they become more at risk for falls before the falls occur — ideally developing a screening technique that can be conducted by physicians or other health care providers.
Kitano (lead author and doctoral student in IU Bloomington’s School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation) said the questionnaire used for their study could be conducted and scored by physicians and possibly other health care professionals. Patients could complete the questionnaire in around 15 minutes.
“It’s an accessible, easy tool to identify people with risk,” he said.”

But is it cognitive ability that affects posture or the other way around? Only further research will tell us.

 
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Posted in Elder Care, Fall Prevention, Home Safety, Mobility Issues

 

Over Age 65, Yoga Can Keep You Balanced

14 Apr

Personal Response CorpNew data suggests that women over the age of 65 who practice yoga fall less. Of course older people benefit greatly from almost any kind of light exercise both physically and mentally, however, under professional supervision, the peculiar impact of the ancient practice of meditative yoga may yet prove to be the best at preventing falls. From Temple University:

“Dr. Jinsup Song and researchers at the School of Podiatric Medicine and the College of Health Professions examined the gait and postural stability of 24 elderly females who were enrolled in an Iyengar yoga program specifically designed for those over 65. They found that at the end of the nine-week program, participants had a faster stride, an increased flexibility in the lower extremities, an improved single-leg stance and increased confidence in walking and balance…

Song and his researchers suggest that improving balance and stability through yoga could help reduce the risk of falling, as these are two areas that are often deficient when a fall occurs.

“We were very impressed at the progress our participants made by the end of the program,” said Song. “Subjects demonstrated improved muscle strength in lower extremities, which helps with stability. There was also a pronounced difference in how pressure was distributed on the bottom of the foot, which helps to maintain balance.”– Temple University (2008, April 8). Yoga Poses Can Prevent Falls In Women Over 65, Study.

A simple resource to get those interested in researching yoga programs for the elderly can be found here http://www.seniorfitness.net/YOGA.htm

 
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Posted in Elder Care, Fall Prevention, Mobility Issues, Prevention

 

Preventing Falls in the First Place is the Best Medicine

07 Apr

Personal Response CorpFalls are the leading cause of accidental deaths among people over the age of 75 and the second leading cause for those aged 45 to 75, according to the National Safety Council. We’ve posted those and other statistics here before. But there are ways to mitigate dangers in the home. Funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Virginia Tech is hard at work looking for the causes of falls as well as ways to prevent them.

For instance, here are some stairway safety tips from Virginia Tech’s Website:

1. Install handrails on both sides of the stairs and extend them one foot beyond the last step at both top and bottom; position top of the railing at elbow height of the homeowner.
2. Use handrails that allow the homeowner to use a “powergrip” — to encircle their thumb and fingers around it — and allow hand clearance between the handrail and the wall.
3. Use a different color contrast to mark the first and last step.
4. Limit stair rise to seven inches; make tread at least 11 inches.
5. Use incline risers with 15-degree angles.
6. Remove thick (3/8 inch or thicker) carpets and underpads on treads.
7. Make sure stair height and tread widths are adequate, and each step is identical in size.
8. Install a second handrail if the stairs are wide enough.
9. Install light switches at the top and bottom of stairs.
10. Be sure carpeting is tightly woven and installed so it doesn’t move or slide.

For more information visit http://www.research.vt.edu/resmag/sc2003/whyfall.htm

 
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Posted in Fall Prevention, Home Safety, In-Home Care

 

University Studies Why Elderly Fall

07 Apr

Personal Response CorpMark Grabiner, Phd, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, has a few ideas. Mark is Director of the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory at UIC, who have been studying just this issue for over 20 years. Seeing as, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an older person is admitted to an emergency room every 18 seconds of every day, it’s good that somebody is looking into it.

“The way they walk and the way they fall is actually a result of the changes that occur normally as we proceed in chronological age,” Grabiner said in an interview with ABC News.

Grabiner’s studies use women over the age of 62, as studies have proven that they are the most at risk of a serious fall. Over 20 motion sensors are placed on the subject’s body, the same kind of technology used in movie making to record an actor in front of a “blue screen.” The subject is then securely tethered to safety ropes, and actually forced to slip, trip and fall safely while the motion sensors are monitored.

“We are able to see things as quickly as 5 milliseconds, which is way faster than you can ever see with the human eye,” said Noah Rosenblatt, also of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Armed with data from experiments such as these, researchers are hoping to both learn more about why and how the elderly fall, as well as, ultimately, teach seniors how to fall more safely.

For more information visit the University of Chicago at Illinois Bio-mechanics website at http://www.uic.edu/ahs/biomechanics/

 
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Posted in Prevention

 

Some General Information About Geriatric Care Managers

25 Mar

A Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is a specialist in the field of senior assistance and can help a great deal facilitating a higher quality of life for your aging mom or dad. They are degreed and certified with training in nursing, gerontology and psychology. And, sometimes more importantly, they have an intimate knowledge of cost effective and well recommended services in your area for continuing care. Their knowledge can be invaluable in maximizing your loved one’s life experience and potential as they age.

According to gilbertguide.com, “Your GCM will begin by creating a customized senior care plan and assessment in order to determine the best course of action for your loved one, which will include an examination of overall health as well as social, emotional, and physical needs. Your geriatric care manager will then arrange the appropriate services to meet the needs of your loved one on a daily basis. Geriatric care managers continue to supervise the process, monitoring what’s going on and amending the senior care plan as things change.”

Basically, if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with caring for your loved one, or you’re doing almost everything on your own, with either other family members being unavailable or unwilling to to help, a GCM can be a life saver. Contact the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers to find out if a GCM is right for you and your situation at their website caregiver.org. There you can also do conduct a search to find reputable GCMs in your area.

 
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Posted in Care Manager, Caregiver, Elder Care, In-Home Care

 

Medicare Vs. Medicaid: What are The Differences?

22 Mar

Personal Response CorpWith similar sounding names and over-lapping purposes these two systems can be a little confusing; daunting even. It is essential to note that both are available to legal residents of the US who are over 65 years of age and can cover many aspects of continuing care for the elderly. In fact, in some cases you or your loved one may even qualify for both. First thing to know is that Medicare is a federal program, and Medicaid is managed by individual states. Here are some specifics about the differences from the government’s own medicare website.

Medicare: Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, under age 65 with certain disabilities,and any age with permanent kidney failure (called “End-Stage Renal Disease”). You must have entered the United States lawfully and have lived here for 5 years to be eligible for Medicare.“

Medicaid: “Medicaid is health insurance available to certain people and families who have limited income and resources. The rules for counting your income and resources (like bank accounts or other items that can be sold for cash) usually depend on which state you live in. Eligibility may also depend on how old you are and whether you are pregnant,whether you are blind or have other disabilities, and whether you are a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted immigrant…”

Additionally, “People with Medicaid may also get coverage for services such as nursing home care. Depending on your state’s rules, you may also be asked to pay a small part of the cost (co-payment) for some medical services. If you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, most of your health care costs will be covered.”

For further information on Medicare (and to get the number for your state’s Medicaid office) Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. For more info online, visit medicare.gov

 
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Posted in Home Safety, Medicare

 

Tenderness: Everyone Needs It Sometimes!

19 Mar

It can seem so easy for us to lose track of what is important in our busy lives. With work, shopping, exercise, our kids, hobbies. Ours days can seem so full and go by so fast that we start to take our mother or father’s emotional well being for granted. And, these needs very often increase in correspondingly with their age. And why wouldn’t they? As we age, too, we lose contact with old friends, things change, and world almost begins to pass us all by. To the elderly these can dramatically affect mental well being and self worth. Many studies have incontrovertibly proven that a healthy mental attitude is a huge part of maintaining physical health.

Spending time: Spending time with your aging parents is the most obvious sign that you love them and the clearest signal that you value their opinions and company. Just going for a short walk, playing a game, or watching a television program that they enjoy once a day may be all it takes to keep their spirits lifted and their minds active and engaged.

Everyone has ups and downs: Sometimes the elderly may need a little more tlc than usual. Depression is a very real disease and can manifest itself in many way and for many different reasons both psychological and physiological. Minor depression can often be combated with activities as simple as light physical activity or just spending some time outdoors in the sunshine every day, or even interactions with friendly, gentle dogs and cats. However, unfortunately, major depression can be a pernicious adversary for the elderly. If you suspect this to be the problem, it is important that you contact your health care provider for guidance. A healthy mind can add years of happiness to a person’s lifespan. You can find an excellent website to consult regarding the causes and symptoms of major depression, as well as relevant therapies, and be found here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001941

 
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Posted in Uncategorized

 
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