If you’re currently involved in the business world, there’s a good chance you have parents who are 65 or older. You may even be the child of one of the more than 18 million adults over the age of 75 in the United States today. In addition, you may be of the demographic now commonly referred to as the sandwich generation: You’re the “meat” of the sandwich between your parents and your own children, and you might even be taking care of both at the same time.
Many of us are looking at how our parents are living and carefully questioning their independence or safety for the first time in our lives. Suddenly, we find ourselves in the reversed role of worrying about them when, for our whole lives, they were so independent we probably never gave it a second thought. This is a huge adjustment and doesn’t come easily. Of course, taking care of children is challenging, but at least it’s a challenge that many have thought about for years before taking it on. Having aging parents is another matter. Suddenly finding ourselves in the role of being concerned for our parents, or even being their caregiver, if they’ve been mostly independent all their lives, is a reversal of roles and can really take us by surprise in its difficulty.
When you think of your aging loved ones, what do you worry about most? Is it a heart attack or stroke cutting short their life, or perhaps cancer? While these illnesses are very real worries for everyone as they age, it may surprise you to discover that falls are the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and 75 percent of these falls occur in the older adult population. In starting to observe the aging adults in your life, preventing falls is one of the first and most important things you can do to keep them safe and healthy.
Falls are the single largest cause of injury among seniors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, older adults are hospitalized for fall-related injuries five times more often than they are for injuries from other causes. One-third of older adults who fall, sustain a hip fracture and are hospitalized will die within a year.
Even if a fall doesn’t result in hospitalization, fear of falling can become a major factor in seniors’ quality of life. Fear leads to inactivity and loss of confidence, which, in turn, produces a cycle of fear, loss of self-confidence and inactivity.
As our loved ones age, it’s important to recognize that things like throw rugs—that once didn’t warrant a second thought—now become household hazards. Mobility and agility limitations require a fresh look at a home’s everyday contents. Dr. Roberta Newton, Ph.D., Temple University College of Heath Professions in Philadelphia, has spearheaded efforts to study and research why falls occur and how they can be prevented. Here are some easy tips from Dr. Newton to help minimize the risk of life-altering falls for your loved ones.
• Throw rugs can be a tripping hazard. Either remove them or make sure they’re securely tacked down.
• Add hand rails to all stairs.
• Clear clutter from walking paths, and make sure hallways and stairways are well-lit.
• Eliminate long extension cords that snake across a room. Plug lamps into outlets near the wall so cords are tucked away.
• Add grab bars next to the toilet, tub and shower.
• Make sure the bathtub has non-skid mats. A tub seat may make showering easier, too.
• Trade in floppy slippers for well-fitting ones with non-skid soles. Also, avoid night clothing that drags on the ground.
It’s essential to take action now on behalf of your aging loved ones, before a crisis strikes. You may want to start by having a conversation with your loved ones’ primary physician or their physical therapist (if they have one). Of course, whenever possible, it’s best to respect your loved ones’ autonomy and independence by having this meeting together with them as a team. A great way to start is by asking them if you can come along on one of their appointments.
I’d also suggest connecting with a local social worker, geriatric care manager or professional homecare agency to help you assess and address the fall risks and safety issues in your parent’s or loved one’s life. Here in the North Bay, we’re blessed with a vast array of helpful resources, like Sonoma County’s Council on Aging, the Sonoma County Section on Aging and the Sonoma County Senior Resource Guide. These organizations are here to provide free, helpful advice on keeping the older adults of our community safe, healthy and happy, and to help each of us stay informed as advocates for our loved ones’ well being. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and nowhere is this more true than with our older adults.
Marian Cremin, LCSW, the CEO and director of Visiting Angels Senior Homecare and Respite in Sonoma and Napa counties, is available for speaking and educational events. You can reach her at mcremin@visitingangels.com or (707) 528-0222.
