Aging in Place: An emerging culture with a need for Technology  (includes check list)

      There was a day when families lived for generations in one home and our Seniors did not leave until their care needs became to great for the family and community. Today families rarely stay long in one home or even one community and so often our parents are left to fend for themselves in the retirement years. Because of this isolation even simple everyday concerns become significant and eventually the concerns are enough to drive our Seniors into assisted living much earlier than in past years. The purpose of the "Aging in Place" initiative is to over come as many of these concerns as possible and thus extend the amount of time our communities Seniors can stay at home. In a time where economic concerns for Medicare and Medicaid are growing and budgets are shrinking we find "Aging in Place" to have a growing significance with few alternatives. To help you create a home where Aging in Place is a reality I have created a list (in priority) of items to consider;

• First and foremost you must prepare for the eventuality that an event of some nature (medical, fire or security) will require outside assistance -perhaps urgently. You must therefore strongly consider some type of simple emergency device that will reach out for help in a time of need. The device must be simple (mobile phones are not simple in a panic) and has the ability to reach out to a neighbor friend or family member near by. Depending on the budget, an up grade version would reach out to a paid 24hr monitoring service.
• Falls are a significant source of injury and require specific considerations;
  • Move sleeping areas to main floor
  • Replace steps with ramp where possible
  • Remove or secure rugs that may trip seniors.
  • Remove or secure cables on the floor
  • Update showers for fall safety
  • Consider replacing tub/shower units with shower only units
• Fires take 4 times more seniors – prevention first.
  • Simplify eating and related cooking habits
  • Use Microwave for cooking prepared meals
  • Add additional smoke detectors to the home for areas that will no longer be frequented. A detector that alerts neighbors or a paid service should be considered.
  • If hearing is a concern then you must consider a system that will alert neighbors of a fire or a paid monitoring service.
• Enlist Family and Community in a telephone check-in service where each member calls the Senior on a rotating basis. The call should include;
  • Reminders for prescription drugs (there are technology solutions too)
  • Status of food supplies
  • Comfort level in the home and environmental concerns
  • How do they feel physically and emotionally

In closing there is no reason our Seniors can not stay at home for as long as they or the community can care for them. With a little adjustment in lifestyle and environment this is a realistic alternative that we should consider first before packing off to a retirement home.