Staying safe, financially secure, and healthy, relating to better quality life as grow older.
Falls are a major problem for seniors who want to “Age in Place”. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for a senior to fall and be unable to get up afterwards due to a variety of underlying physical problems – even if no serious injury was sustained during the fall. While lots is written about calling emergency services, I thought it would be helpful to focus instead on simple techniques to help yourself. This article is about “how to get up”.
Walkers are a life-saver for many people. They help older adults avoid falls and keep their independence. They also help patients in the hospitals who are recovering from surgeries or illnesses. They fill a need and many probably don’t think to examine the walker any further. However there hasn’t been much innovation in the walker arena in many years. The basic design has changed little and there is definitely room for improvement.
Going beyond money management, part of our daily work includes having conversations about the complexities of providing care for aging family members, the range of costs for providing this care and the difficulty families have in planning around these issues. Yet, most people don’t think about such things until there is a crisis.
The (80 yr old) mother of a friend of mine lived alone, fell in the shower, broke her hip, and lay there for 5 hours before someone found her. It was a disaster for her health.
There are really two big problems here, and one of them at least is amenable to a technical solution.
At the outset, the greatest barrier to moving into a retirement community can be the cost. Therefore, most homeowners and renters find it attractive to age in place at home in the community where friends and services are nearby. However, the cost of remaining at home can become very high in the later stages compared to some of the alternatives.