by Lisa M Cini

Each year in the U.S. one in four people over 65 experiences a fall. It’s a common problem and can lead to a loss of independence, hospitalization, lack of confidence, and in some cases death. Avoiding falls in the first place is a vital aspect of living independently. Here’s how to prevent accidents in the home and make living independently a positive experience.

Assess Your Living Space. A few simple adjustments can mean the difference between falling and living independently safely. Take a minute to answer the following questions:

Is there a phone within easy reach?

Are there rugs on a polished floor surface?

How easy is it to get around your room?

Is clutter posing a hazard?

Do you need better lighting?

Get Safe Flooring. Making your floor as safe as possible is essential for preventing falls.

Invest in anti-slip tiles for bathrooms and kitchens to avoid sliding on water spillages or polished surfaces.

Make sure any rugs have anti-slip fixtures underneath to avoid slipping across the floor.

Consider a contrasting color for steps and rails to make them easier to see.

Since your feet spend so much time on the floor, make sure you have well-fitting shoes and slippers. Avoid flip-flops and flimsy footwear as these easily lead to trips and slips.

Consider the Lighting. Lighting equipped with sensors to come on when movement is detected is very helpful for stairs and bathrooms –or any room, really. Amber colored night lights help you see around the home at night and should be placed in stairs and bathrooms.

Install Handrails to Keep You Steady. Having a handrail in all high-risk places, such as the shower or stair, is another example of an easy adjustment to prevent falls.

Make the Garden Safe. Gardens are full of hazards so make sure your green space is as safe as possible.

Clear moss and old leaves from the paths to minimize the risk of slippery spaces.

When it is icy, make sure you lay some grit and have someone clear your paths.

Avoid too many pots and ornaments as they are easy to trip over.

Install lighting so you can see your way along paths in the dark.

Remember that you don’t have to do all the work in the garden or house yourself; you can get help from others to do the heavier jobs, which lessens your risk of falling.

Remove Clutter. Clearing clutter from steps and floors helps you avoid slips and trips. Don’t leave things lying around on the floor where they can cause a hazard. And avoid trailing wires when using electrical items.

Don’t stretch or balance on step ladders to get things on high shelves or awkward places, as it leads to falls.

Make sure you organize your living space so things you use frequently are within easy reach and you don’t need to climb on steps.

Avoid carrying too much at one time as this can set you off balance, resulting in a fall.

Join a Pilates / Yoga class or other exercise programs designed to help you avoid falling by maintaining good balance, core strength and posture techniques. Some exercises are chair-based, but most are gentle and set at a pace that the group can follow.

Footwear is important in the prevention of falls.

Give yourself time to adjust when moving from a sitting position. This helps you avoid dizziness from changes in blood pressure.

Taking these few easy steps to make your living space safer will help you avoid falls and stay independent for longer in your home.

Lisa is the author of The Future is Here: Senior Living Reimagined, Hive: The Simple Guide to Multigenerational Living, and BOOM: The Baby Boomers Guide to Leveraging Technology, so that you can Preserve Your Independent Lifestyle & Thrive.

Editor: Once again we have an article on fall prevention because it is so important for seniors.

by Anne-Marie Botek

It can be difficult to admit that a loved one’s health has declined so much that pursuing further curative treatment is either impractical or impossible. Choosing comfort care is usually the next step, but many patients and their family members hesitate or second-guess themselves when this delicate decision arises. However, families can lose out on valuable time with terminally ill loved ones if they wait too long to seek hospice care.

According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 27.8 percent of Medicare hospice patients received comfort care for a week or less in 2017, and a whopping 50 percent of this cohort received care for less than 25 days. While hospice care is meant for individuals with an estimated life expectancy of six months or less, the data suggest that families are not seeking this specialized care until the last minute.

“The full benefits of hospice care cannot be experienced in just a day or two,” explains Myles Zuckerman, MD, team physician at Family Hospice and Palliative Care in western Pennsylvania. “It makes me sad to get calls from family members who realize their loved one is dying within a few hours or days because they can’t make the most of the care provided.”

Of course, a reluctance to talk about and accept death is part of why hospice is seen by many as a last resort, but a lack of information and even misinformation about the services hospice provides also contributes to delays in care.

The Benefits of Hospice Care

Terminally ill individuals often experience pain as they approach the end of life. One of the most well-known goals of hospice care is to enhance a dying person’s quality of life by alleviating as much of this pain as possible. The sooner a senior receives a hospice referral, the sooner they are able to get relief from pain and other physical symptoms in lieu of curative treatment.

But hospice care encompasses far more than symptom management. Multidisciplinary hospice care teams consist of multiple professionals, including physicians, nurses, aides, social workers, psychologists, volunteers, musicians, therapists and spiritual counselors. This team works together to help patients and their families cope with the physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of dying.

This holistic care approach and focus on maintaining quality of life can make it possible for a senior to have more pain-free time to spend with their loved ones. Furthermore, hospice care can reduce the likelihood that a patient will spend their final months in and out of the hospital—a common scenario that proves to be very stressful, upsetting and expensive to patients and families alike.

Con artists may try to get your Medicare Number or personal information so they can steal your identity and commit Medicare fraud. Medicare fraud results in higher health care costs and taxes for everyone.

Protect yourself from Medicare fraud. Guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card.

Remember:

• Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare Number or other personal information unless you’ve given them permission in advance.
• Medicare will never call you to sell you anything.
• You may get calls from people promising you things if you give them a Medicare Number. Don’t do it.
• Medicare will never visit you at your home.
• Medicare can’t enroll you over the phone unless you called first.

Learn more tips to help prevent Medicare fraud.

Check regularly for Medicare billing fraud. Review your Medicare claims and Medicare Summary Notices for any services billed to your Medicare Number you don’t recognize.

Learn more about how to spot fraud.

Report anything suspicious to Medicare. If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE.

by Rick Beavin, California Market President Humana

If you’re one of 56 million Americans eligible for Medicare, it’s important to understand coverage options when selecting your health plan for 2020. Research can take time, and many people find working with a licensed health insurance agent helpful when deciding between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Supplement plans. Answering these five questions can help you make an informed choice during the Medicare Annual Election Period, October 15 to December 7:

Are my doctors, hospitals and specialists in network? Most Medicare Advantage plans offer online tools to help you find doctors and hospitals that are in a plan’s network. A licensed agent can also help you look up hospitals and doctors to see if they’re in a plan’s network and taking new patients and confirm what’s in network if you’re a seasonal resident.

Which plans will cover my prescription drugs? Original Medicare does not cover most prescription drugs. Many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage, or you can sign up for a Part D Prescription Drug Plan separately. A licensed agent can look up the medications you would like covered and help you estimate what the cost of each drug would be on a plan.

Are there new, innovative benefits I should consider? Beyond vision, hearing and dental coverage, if you aim to become healthier, look for fitness program benefits as many Medicare Advantage plans offer a gym membership. If you travel or appreciate technology, virtual doctors are helpful services when you can’t see a doctor right away. Most Medicare Advantage plans now offer transportation to doctor appointments and the gym.

Will a zero monthly premium plan save me money? Private insurers help keep premiums down through programs like disease and chronic care management, which help people better manage health conditions and, in turn, reduce medical costs. You’ll still need to pay your Medicare Part B premium, which covers medical services and preventive care. You might want to use the additional premium dollars you save for out-of-pocket medical costs, such as co-pays.

Do I need to sign up for Medicare Parts A and B if I’m still working? If you or your spouse have health insurance from an employer, you can delay enrolling in Medicare until the employment or the coverage stops. At that point, you’re entitled to a special enrollment period of up to eight months to sign up for Medicare without incurring any late penalties.

Resources are available to help you in this process, including licensed sales agents, local seminars, and websites such as medicare.gov and humana.com/Medicare. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (or TTY: 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or call Humana at 1-800-213-5286 (TTY: 711) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time seven days a week.

As with any major decision, proper research will go a long way toward making the best plan choice for your personal health care needs.

Clarice was born October 9th, 1916 in New York City and was raised in New Jersey. Clarice is an amazing 103 years young. Clarice married an Army man, Harry Peters and had 3 children. Clarice has 6 grandchildren, a few in college and mostly all professionals. Clarice worked as a nurse’s aid for almost 30 years! Her favorite color is red and she enjoys watching movies and exercising every morning in the activity room. Clarice enjoys bowling, eating strawberries and she enjoys living at Pacifica Senior Living, she states, “I am very comfortable here”. Many residents describe Clarice as a loving, friendly, caring woman.

Kikuko (given the name Cookie by a teacher because they could not pronounce her name) is only 100. Cookie was born October 8th, 1919 in Seattle WA, she moved to CA in 1928, her parents moved her around a lot. Her dad was a shipping clerk for Robinson’s and her mom was a before her time entrepreneur, her mother put herself through college and even received her cosmetology degree without knowing any English. Cookie graduated from Fresno High in 1937 and started waitressing right after high school at a Chinese restaurant located across the street from her mother’s Korean restaurant, she said they treated her so well and fed her better! Cookie later met her husband who was a country boy. They moved out to Oxnard to share crop while she raised her 4 children, 2 still live in the area. Cookie has been single most of her life and has been living in Oxnard permanently since 1950. She was done moving around and never moved again until she joined the Pacifica family earlier this year. She enjoys cooking, gardening and she used to enjoy sewing. Cookie is a friendly, sweet, smart woman who is very able to care for herself. She says “Turning 100 is no big deal because birthday parties are for kids.”

by Aging Care

Question:

My husband has dementia and he hates to shower or to wash. He fights with me every time I take him to the shower. Yes, I wipe him and give him sponge baths, but that can only go far. Everyone needs a shower to wash away the odor and dead skin. How do I do this with engaging in a battle with him?

Answer:

Often fear is the biggest factor.

Does he have a bench seat or shower chair to sit on? If not that might be helpful.

Do you have a handheld shower sprayer? If so start at his feet and go up. When you get to torso go from behind so the spray is not hitting the chest and face. These are two “vulnerable” areas and can cause fear.

Give him control over the sprayer if possible so he can direct the water where it is comfortable for him.

When my Husband was walking, I purchased used walkers from resale stores and put them in the shower for him to hold onto. He was more apt to hold a walker than grab onto the grab bars since he was used to the walker. But he did use the grab bars occasionally. When he was no longer walking, I used a shower wheelchair. (I have a roll in shower…lucky me!)

The bathroom can be noisy. When you don’t need the water on turn it off so it is more quiet.

Talk to him in a low soothing voice. Actually, lower the pitch of your voice as higher pitched voices can seem harsher. If he likes music soft music might help but be careful as sounds can bounce off walls in the bathroom making noises seem louder.

And do not worry about showering every day. And bathing every day may not be the best for fragile skin anyway.

If all else fails you could hire someone to come in 2 times a week to give him a shower.

Whether you are at home or somewhere else, a sudden fall can be startling and upsetting. If you do fall, stay as calm as possible and follow these steps:

• Take several deep breaths to try to relax. Remain still on the floor or ground for a few moments. This will help you get over the shock of falling.
• Decide if you are hurt before getting up. Getting up too quickly or in the wrong way could make an injury worse.
• If you think you can get up safely without help, roll over onto your side. Rest again while your body and blood pressure adjust. Slowly get up on your hands and knees, and crawl to a sturdy chair.
• Put your hands on the chair seat and slide one foot forward so that it is flat on the floor. Keep the other leg bent so the knee is on the floor. From this kneeling position, slowly rise and turn your body to sit in the chair.
• If you are hurt or cannot get up on your own, ask someone for help or call 911. If you are alone, try to get into a comfortable position and wait for help to arrive.
• Carrying a mobile or portable phone with you as you move about your house could make it easier to call someone if you need assistance. An emergency response system, which lets you push a button on a special necklace or bracelet to call for help, is another option.

Editor:

We provide many articles about falling because a fall can be very devastating for some seniors.

Laubach Literacy of Ventura County is offering a free ESL tutor training workshop on Saturday, October 19, from 9am to 4pm at 1500 Palma Drive, Ventura.

Various methods and materials will be demonstrated and taught during the workshop enabling the new tutor to begin right away. Neither prior teaching experience nor knowledge of a foreign language is necessary. Open a world to an adult non-fluent English speaker with the gift of learning how to read, write and speak English. New tutors are always needed. To register for the workshop and for more information, please call 805-385-9584.

Laubach is an all-volunteer non-profit organization teaching English as a Second Language to adults 18 and over. www.laubachventura.org

Change can be difficult and stressful, and everyone handles it differently. Like with any change, making the transition to senior living can be made easier on everyone by keeping a positive outlook, patience and understanding, and if possible, as many family and friends involved as possible.

When planning on a move into as assisted living home you or your loved has to decide what furniture and personal items to take such as furniture, photographs, and personal effects. It’s important to request to see the actual unit so you can see the layout and take measurements.

This will help them decide what furniture and personal items can be taken. Since most downsize when they move into senior apartments most of the large furniture they already own won’t fit in their new living space. Sometimes it’s more practical to take smaller items like pictures, books, blankets that will make you or your loved one feel more at home.

Packing should be finished long before the actual move. Available closet space should be taken into consideration when deciding how many clothes to bring. There may be storage units available outside of the unit that seasonal clothing and other items can be stored in for a small monthly fee.

Before moving day comes ask if staff at the residence can help with the move. Many assisted living homes have staff members that will help move furniture and boxes into your new unit. After all heavy lifting is done try to get family and friends to help you organize your belongings in your new living space, it shouldn’t be too much trouble at that point.

Moving is already a difficult process, but many people have trouble making the emotional transition a stigma has been attached to senior living residences. Those concerns aren’t warranted in today’s assisted living facilities as residents can lead independent, full lives.

As long as your loved one gives themselves time to settle into a new routine they’ll find themselves adjusting to their new surroundings. Staying busy also helps, getting out and trying to meet as many of the other residents as possible will help make your parent or loved one feel welcome. This shouldn’t be hard since many of the communities offer a wide variety of daily activities that allow people to socialize and meet people with similar interests.

It’s important that members of the resident’s family and their friends are involved throughout the entire process from helping them find a community they like, helping them move, to regular visits after they have settled. A family member that has moved into an assisted living center shouldn’t be viewed any differently than before the move.

Sometimes this is easier said than done. Family members can experience the same feelings of uncertainty that the resident can, but they should try and keep in mind that their family member has changed, just their address.