By: Carolyn L. Rosenblatt, R.N., Attorney Depression is the most common of mental conditions which can be treated, but among the elderly, it is one of the most overlooked. Sometimes, it’s because physicians don’t recognize the signs and symptoms. Sometimes it’s because of an overall attitude of society that perhaps feeling low is just part of getting old. The danger [...]
Most serious falls and injuries occur in and around the home, and can be life-changing. However, taking simple precautions – starting with a home safety check – can reduce your risk of falling and help you maintain your independence. In addition to the chart below, there are organizations that can assist you in learning how to prevent falls in your [...]
Assessing your home to identify fall hazards and making the necessary changes to prevent them are significant steps. It’s also very important to do the following: Ask your physician or pharmacist about the effects of prescription and non-prescription medications you are taking. Some medications can cause dizziness or light-headedness that can lead to falls. As people age, the effects of [...]
Home modifications are changes made to adapt living spaces to meet the needs of people with physical limitations so that they can continue to live independently and safely. These modifications may include adding assistive technology or making structural changes to a home. Modifications can range from something as simple as replacing cabinet doorknobs with pull handles to full-scale construction projects [...]
Before you make home modifications, you should evaluate your current and future needs by going through your home room by room and answering a series of questions to highlight where changes might be made. Several checklists are available to help you conduct this review. The National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modifications is a good place to start. [...]
The best way to begin planning for home modifications is by defining the basic terms used and asking some simple questions. According to the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), home modifications should improve the following features of a home: Accessibility. Improving accessibility means making doorways wider, clearing spaces to make sure a wheelchair can pass [...]
