From Huffington Post:

This Halloween, don't be tricked by things that go "boo" around the house. Falls and fires make up the lion's share of fatal and non-fatal household injuries for older people... but a surprising number of "hidden hazards" can send them to the hospital or worse. Here are five significant -- and preventable -- goblins that can spook people aging at home:

1. Carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the U.S. Fire Safety Administration, each year, more than 150 Americans die from accidental non-fire related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from faulty, improperly used or incorrectly vented fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, stoves, lanterns, water heaters and fireplaces. Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, nausea and drowsiness. Older adults (along with children and people with heart and lung conditions) are at greater risk due to their physical condition. Plus, older people are more likely to misuse heaters; turn on the oven for warmth; find it harder to maintain the furnace, fireplace and water heater; and live in older houses with older systems and, perhaps, fewer alarms. They also might not hear an alarm sound or they might sleep through it.

Trick or treat: Put alarms near carbon-monoxide sources and bedrooms. Look for models that also emit flashing lights or that can vibrate the bed to wake up sleepers. Odorless carbon monoxide makes you even more groggy.

2. Food poisoning. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year 48 million persons get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne infection and illness in the United States. Many of these people are children (who have immature immune systems) or older adults (who have weakened immune systems, or are on medications that weaken their resistance) who can't fight infection normally. Older adults must be vigilant when handling, preparing, and consuming foods. That's harder if you can't shop as often as you used to, and you can't sniff out rotten food, read the past-due date, or afford lots of fresh food. (Plus, sometimes food that's gone bad doesn't look or smell bad.) Thrifty older people are also loathe to throw things out.

Trick or treat: The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture gives this basic advice:

Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often. 
Separate - Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and poultry apart from cooked foods. 
Cook - Use a food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked. 
Chill - Refrigerate or freeze food promptly.

3. Medication overdose or interaction. Older people can take so many prescription drugs (plus over-the-counter drugs and supplements, sometimes unknown to their doctors), that overdosing and drug interactions increasingly send them to the hospital... or worse. Older people don't absorb drugs as well as younger people and their livers and kidneys don't get rid of toxic waste as easily. Some drugs also interact with food.

Trick or treat: To help prevent problems, keep an updated list of medications and take everything in a bag for a doctor's review at least once a year. Talk to the doctor about complications or side effects, and do not renew prescriptions unless instructed. Set up a reminder system to help take the proper dose on the recommended schedule. Also toss drugs that are no longer need or past their expiration dates.

4. Scalding injuries. Hot liquids can burn like fire. Steam heat is a real peril for thin older skin. Older people are vulnerable because their reaction times are slower; they might not be able to get out of the way of hot liquids or steam as quickly as a younger person. With weak hands or tremor, they might spill hot drinks on themselves, or have problems taking heavy cooking dishes out of the microwave oven.

Trick or treat: Age-proofing to make the kitchen safer will help, as will insulating under-sink pipes with which you might make contact (for example, when seated in a wheelchair). Be sure to set the hot-water heater to at most 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius).

5. Shock. Houses with older wiring, run-down appliance cords, and wet areas without ground-fault circuit interrupters, may expose older people to the risk of electrical shock. That's hard on people who might have weak hearts. Electrical shocks can also cause burns, as well as seizures severe enough to throw people to the ground. When that happens, brittle older bones are more likely to break. 

Trick or treat: Bring in a licensed electrician to check wiring, fix frayed lamp cords, make sure the dishwasher wiring is safe, and install ground-fault circuit interrupters in all wet areas -- most likely by the kitchen and bathroom sinks. It's worth it.

Are you ready for Fright Night? Please light any outdoor porches and pathways to help young trick or treaters. And make a list of things you can do to avoid falling prey to these hidden home hazards.

One of the challenges of delivering the message about "universal design" and accessible interiors is that for many, particularly the younger generations, designing a home with accessible features and universal design concepts is not something they will need and is only for the parents of Baby Boomers. 

They often never consider what might occur should they have a health issue or an accident that makes being in their home at the least  "inconvenient." 

Recently we had a conversation with a family, one whose elder mother needed a walker for much of her last years.  They made changes to the house so "Grandmamie" could live independently ...with wider doors, no step entry and a great looking ramp that went from the driveway to the front door.  The bathroom was remodeled so she could pretty much take care of herself, from simple tasks like washing her face in a seated position to showering in a beautiful space complete with a balance bar and curbless entry.

But none of the family every considered that one of them would benefit from some of the same design features. . . that is until one day just a couple of weeks ago.  Ricky, the middle son was injured playing high school football.  A totally unexpected tackle during practice and their young man was down and out with an injury to the lower spine.  While the future looks good, there will be weeks, perhaps months when Ricky will need to use a wheelchair then a walker. 

The trouble began when Ricky got to return home from the hospital but not to his second floor bedroom and tiny adjoining bath.  Only then did they realize that had they made plans for the unexpected, designs that they were clearly aware of with Grandmamie, bringing Ricky home would have been less of a challenge.

So what are the lessons to be learned from this case study?  

Life has obstacles and they can occur at any age. Some are just temporary and inconvenient.  Some are not.  But one's home should not contribute to those obstacles when certain changes can be incorporated into any new home or included in any remodeling plans.  Costs vary depending on the scope of the project but experience suggests that simple changes to a bath can be less than $1,000.  Surveys by groups like the National Association of Home Builders suggest that during new construction, the additional costs can range from 1 to 3%, a very small price to pay considering the alternatives. 

•  For further information about universal design concepts for your family or to locate a DAASE "StayInPlace" member in your neighborhood who can help create a home for a lifetime, just CLICK HERE.  

We've helped many families understand the benefits of staying at home despite ability, agility or age.  And many of our members have the skills to work virtually over the Internet to advise and consult, providing solutions you might not have considered. 
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Submitted by Michael A. Thomas, FASID, CAPS 


Michael is the current president of DAASE, an author and designer in Palm Springs, CA who has specialized in designing "inclusive" spaces for home and work environments for more than two decades. Visit his website at www.thedesigncollectivegroup.com  
 

 

  

Seems baby boomers, you know... those born between 1946 and 1964 who have changed the world,... are not necessarily thinking about retirement at the traditional age of 65.

The last few years have been tough for the boomers.  Stung by a recession, some now believe that they will continue to work according to a recent pole by NORC - Center for Public Affairs Research.

Some 82 percent of working Americans over 50 say it is at least somewhat likely they will work for pay in retirement.

The survey also found 47 percent of working survey respondents now expect to retire later than they previously thought and, on average, plan to call it quits at about 66, or nearly three years later than their estimate when they were 40.

About three-quarters of working respondents said they have given their retirement years some or a great deal of thought. When considering factors that are very or extremely important in their retirement decisions, 78 percent cited financial needs, 75 percent said health, 68 percent their ability to do their job and 67 percent said their need for employer benefits such as health insurance.

Increased lifespans and a renewed idea of when old age begins are also fueling more work among older adults. Six in 10 people said they feel younger than their age; only 6 percent said they feel older. Respondents said the average person is old at about 72. One in 5 said it depends on the person.

Even so, one-third of retired survey respondents said they did not stop working by choice. The figures were higher within certain demographic groups: racial minorities, those with less formal education or lower household incomes were more likely to feel they had no option but to retire. Eight percent say they were forced from a job because of their age. In interviews, survey respondents cited health as well as layoffs followed by unsuccessful job searches.