Falls among Older Adults

When an older adult (65 years and better) falls, it can be a major and traumatic health event, often leading to death within a year.  There are many Fall Prevention Programs for older adults living in the community (as opposed to an assisted living or nursing home setting).

The National Council on Aging offers information about various programs as well as handouts, videos and tips about fall prevention at their website . 

Senior Centers often offer such courses at a minimal fee. I found a “Matter of Balance” program (8 classes) in St. Louis for only $3.25 for the entire program.

Interestingly, a major risk for falling among older adults is the very fear of falling. This fear translates into physical changes in one’s patterns of moving about.  Classes that enhance balance, strength and more physical exercise provide a physical and psychological base confidence, reducing fear of falling.

Michele Obama has popularized the phrase “Let’s keep moving”.  It’s good advice throughout the entire lifespan!

A Revolution of Mercy

© Imelda Maurer, cdp September 22, 2015
    ilmcdp@yahoo.com

The following are words of Pope Francis to the people of Cuba, calling them (and all of us) to a revolution of mercy!

"Our revolution comes about through tenderness, through the joy which always becomes closeness and compassion, and leads us to get involved in and to serve the life of others."

If this culture of Mercy became the dominant culture in nursing homes and any other community, licensed or not, where supportive services are offered to older adults, what a revolution we would see!

Imagine –if mercy, tenderness and compassion carried the day –

What care planning meetings would look like!

What dining services would become!

What the daily ‘schedule’ would become! 

What the morale of staff would be!

What leadership, growth and development would burst forth among the staff!

What positive outcomes residents would experience physically, emotionally and psychosocially.

Hmmm---  That last phrase, for those readers who work in licensed homes, will be recognized as coming directly from Federal regulations: 

Sec. 483.25          Quality of care.

“Each resident must receive and the facility must provide the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being”

That same mandate is noted four more times under the responsibilities of these disciplinary areas/departments:

                Medically-related Social Services

                Resident Assessment

                Nursing Services

                Administration

The terms ‘accommodate’ and ‘accommodation’ are also used about five times in the federal regulations, always in the context of resident needs, preferences and choice.

I continue to find it awesome and profoundly true, that there is a close parallel between Faith values (and Sisters’ Congregational documents, mission and values) and the spirit and letter of the “Minimum Standards of Care”, the Federal Regulations. If any reader can cite an example of when the regulations do not allow mercy, tenderness or compassion, please share that information .

Imagine if we had a Revolution of Mercy in nursing homes across our country!

Some Smart Persons Who Agree with Me!

© Imelda Maurer, cdp September 8, 2015
ilmcdp@yahoo.com

There has been much written over the last several years about the promising role of technology in improving the quality of life in our later years.

The mad dash began some ten years ago or less with software companies touting brain health and brain fitness for elders through the use of their computer games.  I never really believed in the effectiveness of this approach, though I did observe elders in a retirement center some years back eagerly going through the progression of computer-based exercises and clearly feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Now we know the following:  A Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School Special Report concludes that “people who play these games might get better at the tasks they practice while playing, but the games don’t seem to improve users’ overall brain skills, such as attention, memory, use of language, and ability to navigate.”

What is a more effective way to maintain brain fitness? Gene Cohen in his book “The Mature Mind” points to research from the National Institute on Aging showing that the following are the most successful ways to maintain normal memory and overall brain fitness:  engaging in new activities and hobbies, reading, maintaining social relationships, and engaging in healthy physical exercise – that 30-minute walk several times a week.

A second way in which technology is presented is in the context of improving care for older adults.  There are so many types of monitors on the market, for example, that promise this ‘better life.’ After critiquing a few popular high-tech approaches to elder health care, Dr. Ken Covinsky, UCSF School of Medicine says this in today’s post at geripal.org: “My advice to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists:  Think high touch before high tech.  What kinds of innovations will actually improve the quality of life of older people and make them feel better and promote social engagement?  Think about this question before even thinking about technology.  Then and only then, think about how your technology can promote high touch.  Technology that promotes high touch is where the real innovation may lie-and your chance to prove us skeptics wrong."

High touch over high tech any day!