Senior-Proof Your Bathroom 13 Tips for Preventing Falls and Increasing Safety in Your Senior’s Home

Senior-Proof Your Bathroom
13 Tips for Preventing Falls and Increasing Safety in Your Senior’s Home
Senior-Proof Your Bathroom

For many seniors, staying at home is the most economical and desirable living arrangement. But without proper preparation, home can also be surprisingly dangerous. Consider these facts:

6 out of every 10 falls happens at home
1 out of 3 adults over 65 will get injured in fall
Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal and fatal injuries in elderly adults
The good news is that many home injuries are preventable. The bathroom is a great place to start. With hard, slick surfaces that frequently get wet and slippery, bathrooms can be danger zones. A little work, however, goes a long way toward creating a safe, comfortable environment.

Senior-proofing your bathroom: Small projects
These projects and purchases can be completed by most homeowners in a weekend, and make a big difference in your loved one’s safety.

Put non-slip pads or strips on the bathtub or shower floor.
Remove bathmats or area rugs that could cause trips and falls.
Install grab bars and/or safety rails in the bath or shower and near the toilet. Safety bars should be long and wide enough to grasp easily, be covered in a non-slippery grip, and be well-anchored enough to hold an adult’s weight.
Get a toilet safety frame or raised seat to add stability while using the toilet. Two options are molded plastic and the adjustable variety; both will add between 3 and 6 inches to the toilet.
Buy a shower stool, seat, or transfer bench. It should have a rigid seat and back, and rubber tips on the feet to prevent slipping.
Make sure toiletries and supplies are within easy reach.
Set the water heater to 120 degrees or lower to prevent scalding.
Add nightlights or motion lighting to the bathroom to ensure it’s well lit even at night. Think about lighting the path from your loved one’s bedroom to the bathroom, as well. Don’t forget to ensure that any and all light switches are easily accessible.
Senior-proofing your bathroom: Bigger projects
These projects may require professional help, but can also play a big role in making your loved one’s bathroom as safe as possible.

Hang the door so that it opens outwards in case of a fall (if necessary). Remove any door locks.
Install a hand-held shower nozzle, which can be simpler to use while sitting down.
Replace glass shower doors with plastic or shower curtains.
Create a tub cut out. Lower one side of the tub so that it’s easier for seniors to get in and out.
Install a walk-in tub. Updating your bathroom with a complete walk-in tub isn’t cheap, but it is a very effective way to make it easier for seniors to bathe. Expects the cost of the tub and installation to range anywhere from $3000 to $15,000.
Remaining in the home can provide seniors with a strong sense of comfort and confidence. By following the tips listed above, you can help make sure that your loved one stays safe as well as satisfied.

Home Safety Tips for Seniors

Due to the growing popularity of in-home care for seniors, it's important to make sure you and your loved one are aware of the potential dangers present in the home for seniors living alone and prepare accordingly. You can help prevent falls and accidents by making changes to unsafe areas in the home with these tips.

GENERAL HOME SAFETY

The following home safety tips can help keep you and your loved ones safe:

Consider a medical alert or a buddy system.
Keep a fire extinguisher and smoke detector on every floor.
Never smoke when alone or in bed.
Always get up slowly after sitting or lying down. Take your time, and make sure you have your balance.
Wear proper fitting shoes with low heels.
Use a correctly measured walking aid.
Remove or tack down all scatter rugs.
Remove electrical or telephone cords from traffic areas.
Avoid using slippery wax on floors.
Wipe up spills promptly.
Avoid standing on ladders or chairs.
Have sturdy rails for all stairs inside and outside the house, or, if necessary, purchase a stairlift.
Use only non-glare 100 watt or greater incandescent bulbs (or the fluorescent equivalents.)
Make sure that all stair cases have good lighting with switches at top and bottom.
Make sure that staircase steps should have a non-slip surface.

BATHROOM SAFETY

Leave a light on in your bathroom at night.
Use recommended bath aids, securely installed on the walls of the bath/shower stall and on the sides of the toilet.
Skid-proof the tub and make sure the bath mat has a non-slip bottom.
To avoid scalds, turn water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Mark cold and hot faucets clearly.
Use door locks that can be opened from both sides.
If possible, bathe only when help is available.

KITCHEN SAFETY

Keep floors clean and uncluttered.
Illuminate work areas.
Mark "on" and "off" positions on appliances clearly and with bright colors.
Store sharp knives in a rack.
Use a kettle with an automatic shut-off.
Store heavier objects at waist level.
Store hazardous items separate from food.
Avoid wearing long, loose clothing when cooking over the stove.
Make sure food is rotated regularly and check expiration dates.

DRUG SAFETY

Review your medicines frequently with your doctor or pharmacist and when you take new medication.
Make sure medicines are clearly labeled.
Read medicine labels in good light to ensure you have the right medicine and always take the correct dose.
Dispose of any old or used medicines.
Never borrow prescription drugs from others.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you mix alcohol and your drugs.
Have medication dispensed in a bubble pack or convenient dispenser.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before mixing non-prescription drugs and prescription drugs.

Twenty Safe Driving Tips for Seniors

Twenty Safe Driving Tips For Senior Citizens
By Derrick Grant,

The ability to drive is an important element in maintaining one’s independence, but as we age, it may get more challenging. There are safe driving tips that elders can use to drive safely These tips really apply to anyone and include:
Avoid driving at night if you have trouble with your vision, and don’t tint your windows.
Avoid driving during periods of high traffic, typically during morning, lunch, and evening commute times.
Keep your windshield, headlights, and mirror clean to improve visibility.
Raise your seat high enough so you have a clear view of the road. Sit on a small pillow if necessary.
Limit distracting noise inside the vehicle. This includes the radio and conversations with passengers and use of cell phones.
Watch for flashing lights of emergency vehicles if you have difficulty hearing. Stay alert.
Keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead so you have ample time to brake safely if necessary.
Allow adequate stopping distances.
Keep windshield wiper blades in proper working condition.
If possible, drive a car with an automatic transmission.
Get periodic vision and hearing tests. Get hearing aids and new glasses when needed.
Take a defensive driving course offered through the AARP or the American Automobile Association. Some insurance policies may offer price discounts when individuals take these courses.
Carefully read medication labels to see if they may impair driving skills.
Don’t drive if you’re feeling tired, lightheaded, or stressed.
Avoid driving during inclement weather.
Use other transportation services such as taxis and buses if you’re unsure of your ability to drive safely.
Drive on familiar streets, and limit trips to those close to home.
Always wear your seat belt.
Keep your headlights on at all times.
Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about continuing to drive.

5 Tips for Senior Citizens on Simple, Healthy Living

When it comes to their well-being, older adults shouldn't act like victims to aging. They should be active—physically, socially, and spiritually.

To slow down the physical and mental decline that comes with age, drugs and exercise aren't enough. According to a study out of the University of Southern California, a lifestyle makeover is necessary.

This week on Professional Help, professor and occupational therapist Florence Clark shares five tips for seniors on sustainable, successful aging from her Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health paper (PDF). Thankfully, her method, while backed by rigorous research, is also surprisingly simple: walk outside, meet up with friends, go to church, and just be as active as possible.

It's never too late to go healthy. Anybody, young or old, can successfully redesign the way they live to be healthier. While we don't have a say in our own genetic makeup, greater than 50 percent of our mental and physical health status is related to lifestyle. You can even start small: ride public transportation, reconnect with a long-lost friend, join a ballroom dance class, or follow guidelines on how to safely move around the community. The point is, try something new and be willing to learn.

Take control of your health. Appreciate the relationship between what you do, how you feel, and their impact on your well-being. Our research suggests that social and productive activities are as important as physical ones for staying healthy. As we age, even deceptively simple or downright mundane pursuits like reading the newspaper, cooking a potluck dish, walking the dog, or going to church have a powerful influence on our physical and mental health.

Know thyself. The guiding principle of Socrates rings just as true today as it did in ancient Athens. Lifestyle changes are most sustainable when they fit into the fabric of your everyday life -- your interests, schedule, and self-concept. Identify supports on your journey that are strong enough to counterbalance the obstacles you face. Set goals that are challenging but still realistic enough to be achieved.

Anticipate how chronic conditions may affect your plan. Over 70 percent of seniors age 65 and older have a chronic condition, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, COPD, or cataracts. Don't let these impede your progress. Before a big game, elite athletes visualize their performance in their minds' eye. So too should you be prepared for the potential ways you might have to adapt or improvise. And, of course, consult your physician in advance about any new activities.

Living longer can also mean living better. Our research demonstrates that maintaining a mix of productive, social, physical, and spiritual activities as you age can lead to increased vitality, social function, mental health, and life satisfaction, along with decreased symptoms of depression and self-reported bodily pain. Even better, activity-centric lifestyle interventions to ward off illness and disability may also be more cost-effective and have fewer negative side effects than prescription drugs.

9 fraud prevention tips for senior citizens

Senior citizens make up 30 percent of consumer fraud victims and 50 percent of telephone fraud victims. Seniors involved in the scams often don’t report it because they feel embarrassed, or they don’t realize they’ve been scammed.

Here are some fraud prevention tips for seniors from the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants:

Buy from well-known companies. The adage, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is,” can be taken as excellent advice. Buying from companies with positive reputations helps to avoid encounters with fraudulent businesses.
Avoid untrustworthy purchases. Do not engage in transactions over the phone or with door to door salespeople. The most common scams that involve seniors occur over the phone. They include sweepstakes and lottery scams, the grandparent scam (in which a fake grandchild calls for money) and telemarketing scams, including fake charity scams.
Carefully read all contracts and offers. With many seniors increasingly being independent from family members, their children and/or other family members should have some level of vigilance in terms of the financial affairs of the senior. For example, if the senior has a major life change (such as the death of a spouse), a change in financial advisers, movement to a new residence, purchase of additional assets, onset of illness, new home health care aids, etc., family members should make inquiries and monitor mail and phone messages. The senior should maintain a healthy level of skepticism for his or her own financial well-being.
Receive written material. In situations such as giving to a charity, request and wait until you have received written material. Next, inquire about the amount of money that actually goes toward the charity or its major programs. If the senior is even slightly concerned about the charity’s legitimacy, he or she should wait until the donation can be discussed and should not feel guilty about saying, “Not at this time” when asked for a donation.
Do not pay for services in advance. Many seniors in their late eighties and nineties are from the “greatest generation” and grew up with a level of trust in institutions and loyalty to others, making them an easy target for fraud. Because of that trust, they often believe a person will come back and perform a job around the house, for example. If you know the service provider and have some trust, you may want to agree to pay half up front and half when the job is completed to satisfaction, but only if there is also a contract requiring that service to be rendered. For small jobs, like yard work, it’s perfectly acceptable to refrain from payment until the job is complete.
Check for complaints. If there is any uncertainty about the reputation of a company, call the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to determine if there have been complaints filed on a company.
Consult your doctor. Always consult with a doctor before buying “miracle” nutritional supplements. Many supplements are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and could cause more damage to your body than your wallet.
Review your insurance. Carefully review an insurer’s explanation of a benefits statement. If there are any questions, call the insurer and/or provider and have them clarify the information for you.
Know what’s on your forms. Never give someone a signed, blank document. Seniors are targeted for health care, Medicare, health insurance, counterfeit prescription drugs and homeowner/reverse mortgage scams. The senior should personally fill out all of the information or have a family member or attorney help.

7 Healthy Shopping Tips for Seniors

7 Heart Healthy Shopping Tips for Seniors
By: Sara Stevenson

One of the best ways to prevent or control cardiovascular disease is by eating a healthy diet. Use A Place for Mom’s heart healthy shopping list and incorporate these nutrition tips into a senior loved one’s diet for greater heart health.7 Heart Healthy Shopping Tips for Seniors

February is Heart Health Month, and there’s no better time to do a “gut check” on the foods you and your loved ones are eating. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Canada states that strokes kill 32% more women than men.

Needless to say, it pays to be aware of what you can do at home to promote a heart-healthy diet for your family. The good news is, our cardiovascular health is largely under our control. Eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, lean protein and fiber can considerably reduce the risk of heart disease.

Heart Healthy Shopping Tips for Seniors

Eating better is one of the Heart Association’s “Simple 7” factors for improved heart health. When you maintain a healthy diet along with regular physical exercise and other good habits, you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll live longer — and of course we want our senior loved ones to stay healthy and vital for as long as possible, too. Here are some tips on what to eat, what not to eat, and how to succeed when the going gets tough.

1. Buy colorful fruits and vegetables.

Low in calories, high in vitamins, minerals and fiber — adults should get at least five servings per day of these nutrition powerhouses.

A Place for Mom senior nutrition expert Heather Schwartz recommends, “When getting ready to head to the check-out line, check the basket to make sure you have a variety of colored fruits and vegetables to ensure you get the rainbow of benefits each color has to offer. Colors indicate a concentration of a specific nutrient; for example, tomatoes are dense in lutein, which is great for your heart and eyes.”

2. Avoid buying high fat dairy or meat.

Look for skinless cuts of lean meat with the least amount of visible fat. Cuts that say “loin” after them, like sirloin and tenderloin, are often leaner cuts. Ground meats should have less than 20% fat, whether it’s chicken, turkey, pork or beef. Yogurt, milk, cheese and other dairy products should also be low in fat — 2% “reduced fat” or less.

The one kind of fat you do want your loved ones to get plenty of is fatty fish: two servings a week of salmon, trout, or other oily fish can help lower the risk of heart disease and increase the body’s level of healthy omega-3s.

3. Buy plenty of nuts and high fiber foods.

Fiber can help lower blood cholesterol, and it keeps you full, which helps you maintain a healthy weight. You can find fiber in fruits, veggies, beans and whole-grain breads and cereals, as well as in nuts. Almonds and walnuts also have plenty of other valuable nutrients and have been shown in recent studies to have a significant impact on heart health.

A study at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine found that Seventh Day Adventist patients who ate nuts at least five times per week cut their risk of heart disease in half.

4. Avoid buying butter.

We all know these are the culprits of poor dietary health, but this is particularly important advice for seniors. Avoiding these three can help lower cholesterol. A few easy tips to remember: try to eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day, avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and follow the tips above for consuming lean protein and dairy.

Also, Heather Schwartz says, “Consider replacing butter with a more healthful spread like Smart Balance, Brummel and Brown, Benechol or Promise. Unlike butter, they have healthy fats in them and contain plant sterols which may help lower bad cholesterol.”

5. Read nutrition labels.

Heart Healthy Senior: 7 Day Shopping List

Replacing sugary drinks like soda or fruit juice with herbal teas is a great way to eliminate some sugar from your diet, but what about sodium? It’s easy for salt to sneak in, especially with prepared foods, so be sure to read the nutrition label.

“Most seniors need around 500 mg of sodium per meal, or 1500 mg per day,” says Heather Schwartz. “A general rule of thumb is that if one serving of any particular item has more than 250 mg of sodium, you may want to search for a product that has less.” Research published in “Agricultural Economics” suggests that people who read nutrition labels tend to be slimmer than those who don’t.

6. Consider frozen or canned fruits and veggies.

Making sure the kitchen is well-stocked with healthy items — and low on tempting junk food — will help your loved ones get the right nutrition.

“Remember that frozen fruits and vegetables have the same vitamins and minerals in them, though their prices may be radically different,” suggests Heather. “This knowledge makes keeping the kitchen stocked with cholesterol and blood pressure lowering foods a little easier. Canned fruits and veggies offer similar benefits, though choose unsalted or unsweetened varieties when possible.”

7. Avoid rushing into major changes.

Eating for heart health can seem overwhelming, but don’t get discouraged. Start with small steps, and soon the whole family will be eating better — these dietary guidelines are great for everyone, not just seniors.