Demographics and falls in the elderly

• People age 75 and older who fall are four to five times more likely than those age 65 to 74 to be admitted to a long-term care facility for a year or more.
• Rates of fall-related fractures among older women are more than twice those for men.
• Over 95 percent of hip fractures are caused by falls. In 2009, there were 271,000 hip fractures, and the rate for women was almost three times the rate for men.
• White women have significantly higher hip fracture rates than black women.

So what can seniors and their families do to decrease the risk of a fall occurring? Here are some considerations:

1. Exercise regularly. Exercise must focus on leg strength and improved balance and must increase in intensity over time. Tai Chi programs work well.
2. Review your medicines. Ask your doctor to identify medicines that may cause side effects such as dizziness or drowsiness.
3. Take care of your eyes. Have your eyes checked at least once a year and update your glasses to maximize vision. Consider a pair with single vision distance lenses for outside activities.
4. Keep home safe. Reduce tripping hazards, add grab bars inside and outside the tub or shower and next to the toilet and add railings on both sides of stairways. Finally, improve your lighting.

And, in the event of a fall, good physical fitness can reduce the impact. Things like:

• Getting adequate calcium and Vitamin D from food and/or supplements.
• Doing weight bearing exercises.
• Getting screened and possibly treated for osteoporosis.

If you’re looking for even more tips and considerations, check out our elderly falls resource center. At BrightStar, home safety and decreasing the risk of falls and educating families about fall risk is a core competency. Contact us for a free in-home assessment.

Fortunately, falls can be preventable and there are some things that family caregivers and seniors alike can do to help decrease the risk of a fall occurring. Here are some falls facts, provided by the Centers for Disease Control:

• One out of three adults age 65 and older falls each year, but less than half talk to their healthcare providers about it.
• Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury death. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma.
• In 2010, 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments, and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized.
• In 2010, the direct medical costs of falls, adjusted for inflation, was $30 billion.

So what can families do to help decrease the risk of a fall? We’ve pulled together some helpful tips around the most common causes of elderly falls. At BrightStar, home safety and decreasing the risk of falls and educating families about fall risk is a core competency. Contact us for a free in-home assessment.

How will you spend your time, and what do you want to do on a typical day? What do you want to learn, and what do you want to teach? Most importantly, how can you stay healthy even though you may have a clean slate. According to an article from sparkpeople.com, here are a few ways to stay healthy during retirement:

1. Limber your limbs: Try to walk or job 20 to 30 minutes, three to five times a week.
2. Get a hobby: Bowling, fishing, gardening, biking or community projects that require some physical activity can keep you on the go.
3. Make strength training a priority: This benefits seniors, as it increases energy levels, reduces stress and anxiety, delays or prevents age-related disorders and enhances sleep, balance, endurance and flexibility.
4. Eat a variety of foods: Avoid cholesterol and limit your total and saturated fats. Also, increase fiber intake, and especially if you’re a woman, calcium. Finally, drink at least eight glasses of water every day.
5. Sleep: Make sure to get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.
6. Learn something new: Experts say intellectual stimulation is one of the basic needs of human beings. Make a list of all the things you’ve always wanted to learn or try, then pick out something that’s feasible now.
7. Read: If you don’t already, picking up reading can be a great way to stay “current,” pass the time, learn something new and even to keep your cognitive skills sharp.
8. Help around the house: If your partners is the one who cooks, make dinner tonight. Take a healthy cooking class, then show off your new skills.
9. Exercise with your partner: Tennis, ballroom dancing, mini-marathons, even yoga are fun activities you can do to stay connected and fit.
10. Exercise while traveling: When planning a trip, look for ways to be active, like swimming, walking or boating. Limit calorie-rich meals to maybe once a week. Focus on healthful foods througout your trip.

Have you or has someone you know retired? How do they spend their time? It’s very helpful for anyone considering retirement to also consider their plan for post-retirement living to continue thriving.

Families enjoy peace of mind knowing that BrightStar Care nurses are actively involved in their loved ones’ care either directly through regular visits for care settings that demand highly skilled nurses or indirectly by setting up the plan of care and overseeing the caregivers who provide person-centered companion care. BrightStar Care nurses collaborate with the client, family, and other members of the care team such as a primary physician or specialist to ensure the highest quality of life possible for the family’s loved one.

Click here to search and apply for a position with a BrightStar office near you!

National Nurses Week was started in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, to recognize the often thankless work nurses do. Nursing is a profession with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities it offers. Nurses are versatile, working anywhere from emergency rooms to school-based clinics, homeless shelters and, yes, in the homecare setting.

Each and every day, nurses play a very important role in helping BrightStar Care to deliver upon our promise of delivering the utmost in quality care. BrightStar takes a different and better approach to homecare by requiring each location to have an RN Director of Nursing involved in the active oversight of our clients and the staff who care for them regardless of state regulations, so it is impossible to over-emphasize the key role nurses play in our everyday operations and, in tandem with our wonderful and compassionate caregivers and CNAs, truly Making More Possible for our clients and their families.

So if you see a nurse, whether it’s this week, this month or any other time of the year, shake their hand or just give them a big hug. Chances are he or she is helping save lives each and every day. Learn more about BrightStar Care’s commitment to offering RN oversight on every case.

1. Carpeting in the home should be low-profile. The padding should be no more than 3/8″ thick. This makes it easier to navigate with a walker or wheelchair and makes up for poor balance.
2. Doors should be wide enough to allow access for a wheelchair or walker.
3. If the home has stairs, make sure there’s at least one handrail that goes the full length of the stairs. And the stairwell should have adequate lighting.
4. A walk-in shower is preferred to a standard tub. If a standard tub is used, a tub bar clamp can be securely attached to the side of the tub and help with going in and out safely.
5. Toilets that are a few inches taller are becoming the standard in newer homes.
6. Look for storage space and cabinets that are within easy reach. A suction tip “reacher” can help retrieve items out of reach.
7. A side-by-side refrigerator is often a good choice, as many more items can be placed within easy reach and the doors are not as wide.
8. Islands for food preparation are typically taller than the counters, which allows for better access while standing.
9. A front-loading washer and dryer mounted on stands takes the bending and lifting out of doing laundry.
10. Electric stoves are safer to use than gas stoves, as people often lose the ability to smell as they age.
11. If there are steps going into the home and a walker or wheelchair is needed, a ramp, either temporary or permanent, can be used.