A Safer Home Environment

JANUARY 2004

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Adapted from The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers, © 2004 CareTrust Publications. www.comfortofhome.com

A Safer Home Environment Adapting the home for a person who is partially or fully disabled can be a demanding or a relatively simple process. The more adaptations that can be made early on—with a view toward future needs—the easier and safer life will be for everyone concerned.

Safety Steps to Take For the safest home, implement as many of these steps as possible. • Remove all unnecessary furniture. • Arrange the remaining furniture to allow enough space for a walker or wheelchair. • Move low tables and barriers out of the pathway. • Try not to rearrange furniture after the person in your care has grown accustomed to its placement. • Adjust furniture so it will not move if leaned on. • Ensure that a favorite chair has arm rests that are long enough to help the person get up and down. • Cushion sharp corners on furniture, cabinets, and vanities. • Make chair seats 20” high. (Wood blocks or a wooden platform can be placed under large, heavy furniture to raise it to this level.) • Have a carpenter install railings in places where a person might need extra support. (A carpenter

can insure that Falls railings can bear should be reported to a person’s full weight and will not give way.) the doctor, who may be able to perform a Place masking or colored opaque tape on gait assessment and glass doors and picture foot examination. windows. Use automatic night lights in rooms used by person in your care. Clear fire escape routes. Provide smoke alarms on every floor and outside every bedroom.

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Thresholds should be trip-resistant. If possible they should be beveled, and not abrupt.

• Place a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. • Consider the need for monitors and intercoms. • Place non-skid tape on the edges of stairs. Consider painting the edge of the first and last step a different color than the floor.

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CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2004

Continued from page 1 A Safer Home Environment

Basic Fall Prevention Encourage the person in your care to: • Get plenty of rest. • Exercise and eat foods with vitamin D and calcium to strengthen bones. • Stay indoors when it is rainy or icy outside. • Have regular vision screening check-ups for correct eye glasses. • Be cautious when walking on wet floors. • Wear good foot support when you are walking. • Be aware that new shoes are slippery and crepe soled shoes can cause the toe to catch. Shoes without laces are best.

• Have foot pain problems corrected, keep toenails trimmed, and feet healthy for good balance • Go to the restroom before it becomes urgent. • Use a walker or cane. • Organize closets and drawers so frequently used items are easy to reach.

Tip Set the telephone to ring the maximum number of times to avoid rushing, and leave the answering machine on high volume so the person can hear and screen incoming messages.

The Benefits of Walking A study found that simply walking briskly a total of 2.5 hours a week can cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by about one-third— the same reduction in risk as jogging and running.

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© 2004 CareTrust Publications

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine

Oops! I thought this only happened with banana peels.

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CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2004

Taking Care of Yourself

is Preventing Osteoporos es, ve osteoporosis, or porous bon About 10 million Americans ha res each year. You can help which leads to 1.5 million fractu prevent osteoporosis by: in D h plenty of calcium and vitam • Having a balanced diet wit d ng, walking, stair climbing, an ggi (jo ses rci exe g rin bea t igh • Doing we ses (such as lifting weights) dancing) and resistance exerci getting a bone density test • Asking your doctor about smoking • Not drinking excessively or

Fear Can Lead to Falls There is a vicious cycle associated with falls. When an elderly person falls, they sometimes become afraid of falling again. As a result, they move about less. The lack of exercise can lead to muscle weakness and joint stiffness which can then lead to future falls. Source: Caring Magazine, January 2003

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How would you manage this? Question: I worry all the time that the person in my care may fall down. What can I do? Answer: You’re right to be concerned, because falling can be serious. Falls are the leading cause of death in those over age 85. Take special care during “high risk” times such as during an illness, after using the toilet, immediately after eating (drinking tea or coffee after a meal may counteract this), and immediately after sitting up. Take extra care during these times.

© 2004 CareTrust Publications

Studies show that people wearing bifocal or progressive lenses are twice as likely to fall. Consider single-focus lenses when walking or moving about.

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Our Purpose To provide caregivers with critical information enabling them to do their job with confidence, pride and competence.

Ordering Info Caregiver Assistance Newsletter English and Spanish versions are published 12 times per year. Additional language versions are published quarterly. From the publishers of

An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers available from… CareTrust Publications LLC PO Box 10283, Portland, OR 97296 800-565-1533 or www.comfortofhome.com Comments and suggestions welcome. ©2004 CareTrust Publications LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any component of this publication is forbidden without a license from the publisher. Some content in this publication is excerpted from The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers. It is for informational use and not health advice. It is not meant to replace medical care but to supplement it. The publisher assumes no liability with respect to the accuracy, completeness or application of information presented or the reader’s misunderstanding of the text.

For the Caregiver

Slimmer & Healthier Studies show that waist measurement is a predictor of cardiovascular disease. To reduce the risk of heart problems, men should measure less than 40 inches at the waist, and women, less than 35 inches.

To lose weight sensibly: • Eat four to six small meals, including snacks, a day. (Eating fewer meals can actually slow down the metabolism.) • Eat plenty of fiber to feel full—whole grains and legumes. • Avoid alcohol. • Drink water. • Eat foods in their natural state— processed, packaged foods have hidden sugar, salt and fat.

NEXT ISSUE…ORAL CARE

JANUARY 2004

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1. The ideal home for caregiving is arranged with future needs in mind. T F 2. It’s a good idea to rearrange the furniture often in the home of a senior or disabled person. T F 3. Railings where a person might lean for extra support should be installed by a professional carpenter to be sure they will hold a person’s weight. T F 4. The home of the elderly and disabled must have a clear path to the fire escapes. T F 5. Non-skid tape on the edges of stairs can help prevent falls. T F 6. Diet and exercise have no influence on bone strength. T F 7. Walking briskly for two-and-a-half hours a week can cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by one-third. T F 8. Regular vision screening check-ups are important for fall prevention. T F 9. Quitting smoking can help prevent osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones. T F 10. The measurement of a person’s waist size is related to the risk of heart problems. T F © 2004 CareTrust Publications

Name ________________________________________ Signature_____________________________________Date_________________________

Answers: 1. T, 2. F, 3. T, 4. T, 5. T, 6. F, 7. T, 8. T, 9. T, 10. T

Since falls are the cause of serious injuries in the elderly, prevention is very important. Review this issue and answer True or False to the questions below to help you in this learning process.