Tag: Fall Prevention

People don't necessarily know what aging in place is, and what kind of simple changes can be most impactful to make our home safer for ourselves and for aging parents when they visit. Aging in Place specialist Paul Kocharhook, the CEO of Pathway Design & Construction, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to share adjustments we can make to our homes, from DiY projects to more complex upgrades. Paul also talks about sustainability.

Baby Boomers are redefining retirement, and many, as long as they're able, want to keep living in their homes. Yet as they get older, one accident could change their future and shatter their dreams. So if you want to age in place, if you have parents that want to age in place, this program is for you. Paul Kocharhook, the CEO of Pathway Design & Construction, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about keeping our home safe as we get older.

The loss of a senior parent brings home renewed urgency for adult children to have difficult conversations with aging parents who struggle with declining health. Ellie Brown, VP of Sales at Chateau Retirement, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to share the story of the recent loss of her father.

Award-winning, nationally recognized physical therapist J Kele Murdin joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about some assessments that she does to test older people for their risk of having a fall. One in every five senior falls results in a serious injury, such as a broken bone, or head trauma, or a broken hip. Avoiding falls is paramount.

Fall prevention gets started by us all keeping ourself in better health as we age. Want top three ways to start getting yourself into optimal aging? Award-winning, nationally recognized physical therapist J Kele Murdin joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to share her top tips to start small and build.

About one in every four adult older adults aged 65 and over fall every year, and this translates to over 36 million falls in the United States annually among among seniors. Falls are one thing, but one in every five results in a serious injury, such as a broken bone, or head trauma, or a broken hip. Hip fractures alone cause over 300,000 hospitalized patients every year in the USA, and they are followed by a decline in physical function, independence, and even mortality. Award-winning, nationally recognized physical therapist J Kele Murdin joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about fall prevention.

Our common denominator with indoor and outdoor safety is walking. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to share tips for seniors on how to be more mindful of how we walk. Dr. Shawn says, "The initial response of most older adults is they don't want an assisted device [like a walker], because they feel like that's the beginning of the end, right? It's all going to go downhill from here. But actually, those devices allow you to walk safely, give back independence, make people more independent."

Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show with a safety checklist for the indoors. Dr. Shawn discusses items like having adequate lighting in rooms where you're doing spring cleaning. Also, check the batteries in smoke detectors, make sure they're working. If you have air vents, have them cleaned, to help get rid of toxins and buildup of dust.

To avoid senior loved ones slipping and falling in their yard, check it first for slippery areas that could pose a fall risk. Make sure if they have arthritis and want to garden that they have electric pruning shears, as well as light folding stools to help them sit while gardening. Local volunteer groups may be available nearby to help seniors clean up winter debris in their yards. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about senior safety outdoors now that spring is blooming.

Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about preventing senior falls, now that spring has come and everyone's heading outdoors. Suzanne shares a story of a senior whose walker go stuck in some overgrown vines in her yard, and when she tried to force it free, she fell and was stuck lying on the ground for more than two hours until a meter reader happened by who helped her. They discuss making sure your shoes have good soles, and to watch out for ground that might have changed over the winter.