Curbing Driving Due to Age is Hazardous to Health

Curbing Driving Due to AGE is Hazardous to Health

There are many reasons to take away driver's licenses. They all have to do with physical and mental skills and abilities. They do not have a thing to do with "old age."

A safe driver must have and be able to use whenever needed, a set of often taken for granted, but very "complicated skills and abilities". The most critical abilities that have been shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers are:

1. General mobility (how easily the body is able to move about in the car)

2. Head/neck flexibility (how easily the head and neck can move)

3. High- and low-contrast visual acuity (how good is vision in all sorts of lights, darkness;
can things be distinguished from each other, like the curb from the pavement)

4. Leg strength

5. Working memory (of all the rules of the road, how to use the car, etc.)

6. Visualization of missing information (see a ball, but no child, so your mind thinks a child
might be close by, so the body reacts just in case a child is there)

7. Visual search (scanning ahead and near)

8. Visual information processing speed (how quickly a person can see something, understand the meaning of what was seen, and react and safely respond)

The CAR is the STAR in TRANSPORTATION

The lucky folks in places like Washington, DC, New York and Boston have great transportation systems in place that don't require a car. But in most parts of the USA, the car is the pre-dominant form of transportation. People go to the doctor, the grocery store, church, social events, leisure activities, and work using the car. They vacation, help others out, visit, shop, and sight see using the car.

It concerns me to see so many states interested in curbing the older driver based on age. To take the keys to the car away from an individual can be hugely traumatic and life changing. It can also be hazardous to health. It is demoralizing and to some it is humiliating. Imagine World War II Veterans, Viet Nam and Korea War Veterans; and so many other people who have led productive, independent, energetic and involved lives, suddenly told their driving privileges have been revoked.

This can cause isolation, dependency, poor eating habits, malnutrition, poor personal health care, lack of interest in the outside world and embarrassment. It can lead to depression as well as other forms of ill health, and can increase symptoms of conditions that were formally controlled.

This is a big deal!

Prolong Safe Driving Skills for As Long As Possible

It is unfortunate, that as a nation, we seem to react to the few really horrible cases that involved older drivers (that have been sensationalized in the media) in a punitive way, rather than getting to the real reason why people crash.

People crash because under the circumstance, a driver, all the drivers, some of the drivers, did not or could not do something that needed to be done at the precise moment of the confluence of events. This comes down to function,….not age.

We do need to prevent unsafe drivers from getting behind the wheel. This is easier said than done, because so many do not recognize the many red flags that can indicate an unsafe driver. When we do come to a realization that a parent is driving unsafely, and is unwilling to stop, it is time to take personal responsibility, and get involved. This will save lives and heartache.

We also have an obligation to help our older drivers prolong safe driving skills for as long as possible. (That can be well into the nineties and even 100+)

Proactive Approach to Optimize Driving Skills & Safety

People don't know what they don't know. So it is often really hard to recognize "red flags" if you don't know what they are!

A proactive program approach to optimize driving skills and safety would be educational, positive, and preventive in nature.

Goals should be to optimize driving skills and prolong driving safety. The marketing approach should be focused on boomers and healthy seniors in a positive manner. It should be offered in
community environments such as the following:

• shopping malls
• condominium association meeting places
• senior living communities
• theaters and concert halls
• public meeting places
• restaurants, etc.
  

PROLONG DRIVING SAFETY : PROGRAM FEATURES

Programs should include the following features:

1. Fitness programs to maintain or enhance the body's abilities

a. flexibility

b. strength

c. balance

d. range of motion

2. Fitness activities to keep the mind sharp

3. Vision screening opportunities

4. Review of highway rules and regulations

5. Assessments of how well the car fits the person (see CARFIT.ORG)

6. Demonstration of assistive devices that can be used to enhance lossed or reduced physical abilities
7. Information about nutrition

8. Information about the effects of medications and alcohol on driving and the older body.

9. Screenings to determine need for customized health program

10. Information about normal age related changes that can occur

Medicare and Insurance Company Support

If I could wave my magic wand, I would immediately make car insurance programs offer a discount or a stipend or reimbursement, to any senior who participates in such a program. Such a program should:

1. Increase awareness of the skills needed to drive

2. Increase personal responsibility (for one's skills and abilities)

3. Increase desire to stay or get fit

4. Enhance quality of life

5. Delay dependency

6. Save loads of money

7. Prevent injuries and accidents

8. Improve the ability of people to recognize their own driving risk factors

9. Prolong safe driving years

For more information, please take a look at the following Internet resources.

Internet Resources: http://www.safeaging.com/newsletter/Feb06newsletter.pdf

http://www.safeaging.com/newsletter/Feb2005newsletter.htm

http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/06jan/04.htm

Have a safe and happy day.
Dr. Vanessa M. Dazio

Who Provides Guidance to Boomers or Aging Seniors Living At Home

Occupational Therapists: Aging in Place Consultants

The other day, I just had to respond to an article written in USNEWS.COM directed toward boomers who have aging parents. The article was about tips to help aging parents (presumably) of boomers, to age in place.

(If interested, here is the link. http://www.usnews.com/blogs/the-best-life/2009/07/13/tips-to-help-parents-who-want-to-age-in-place-.html)

The public and the media do not seem to be aware of the great resource they have in occupational therapists (OT). OT's are available as consultants to anyone who wish to be as productive in living as they can be. Now, a huge focus is on aging, because guess what, our boomer population is getting older.

Aging can cause physical, cognitive, and sensory changes to people. There are no specific guarantees when aging causes loss of standing balance, or vision loss, or strength loss, etc. But, all can happen, and when they do, a house that has been easily lived in for years, can slowly and subtly become hazardous, and user UN-friendly! This means the house is no longer a good fit for the occupants, and danger lurks around every corner.

HOW OT's CAN HELP HEALTH SENIORS AT HOME

Here are some things OT's can do to help older adults make home adjustments as needed:

1. Identify specific skills, abilities and challenges of the occupants, then develop safe solutions.
2. Identify potential home hazards or personal risks that could cause injuries or accidents in the home.
3. Identify useful assistive products that could improve abilities and safety in the home.
4. Recommend changes in room arrangements that could make life easier or safer.
5. Recommend changes based on a wide range of health, personal, design, financial factors etc.
6. Recommend health promotional plans to optimize personal skills needed for health and safety, such as balance, range of motion, and flexibility.
7. Collaborate with family members to develop the most cost effective strategies based on the specific needs of the occupants
8. Consult with architects, builders, realtors, other family members, other health care professionals, even attorneys and financial advisors (depending on the need)
9. Recommend outside consultations with the appropriate people.
10. Be a health advocate!

HEALTH CARE PROBLEM

People seem to recognize they have to pay the fees for a visiting plumber, a contractor or an electrician. People pay some pretty hefty fees for car repairs, computer repairs, financial consultants, too.

Then, why is it, when it comes to pay for the service of a skilled health care professional coming to the home, the very idea is often met with complete resistance or disinterest (unless of course, "INSURANCE PAYS.")

A visit or a few visits from an OT could save thousands of dollars a month in unnecessary expenditures such as a premature move to an adult living facility or nursing home. An adult living facility may charge $3000 a month, and a nursing home may be as much as $6,000 a month. Just think of the cost savings, if a person were to be able to remain living at home for another 6 months, 12 months, a year or even 5 years.

The cost of the OT consultation, and maybe the cost of some products installed for safety, and maybe some slight changes in the homes are minor when compared to $3000 to $6000 monthly for other residential options.

I don't mean to demean nursing homes or adult living facilities, both are perfect in the perfect situations. But, for the many people who think they have no other options, and unhappily and prematurely move from home, because they were unaware of other options, isn't this a terrible loss?

So, why not ask your insurance company to send an occupational therapist to your home for a home and personal assessment? If they won't help, consider this an investment in your health and safety,...and do it before you get hurt, fall, or find the home you have lived in for years is no longer comfortable.

Need more information about occupational therapy, check out www.aota.org, or my web site at www.safeaging.com/ Go to the links, or the newsletters or the learning centers.

That's it for now.
Have a happy and safe and comfortable home.
Dr. Vanessa

WISE AGING: Personal Fall Risk Factors and Strategies to Prevent Them

What are Personal Fall Risk Factors?

Fall risk factors are conditions that increase the chance or likelihood of a fall happening that could result in harm, disability or even death.

Combinations of personal risk factors increase the risk (chance) of falling. (harm is always a threat)

Below is a basic explanation of personal fall risk factors, as strategies to reduce them.

Personal Fall Risk Factors List

1. Muscle weakness: limited leg/arm/hand strength
2. Unsteadiness: Standing or walking balance is unsteady
3. Walking difficulties (either with or without additional support such as a cane or walker)
4. Vision loss or decline (vision isn't as good as it was; vision problems despite the use of glasses; things look different, but eyes haven't been checked in long time)
5. Decline in independent ability to do basic daily life activities (such as bathing, dressing)
6. Stress/anxiety/depression: Being distracted is often cited as a cause for falling
7. Medications:

a. Certain types of medications can increase the risk of falling, such as those that cause drowsiness or sleep; affect coordination or balance.

b. Take multiple medications: There is an increase of falling risk when taking multiple medications. (That is why it is important to have all medications reviewed to make sure side effects are not hazardous)

Increased Fall Risk with Multiple Risk Factors

The more personal fall risk hazards there are, the greater the chance of a fall with injuries.The good news is there are preventive steps that can be taken to reduce personal fall risks.

Here they are:

Stratagies to Reduce Fall Risks

Falls can be prevented. There are strategies that can be chosen and used in daily life to reduce such risks.

1. BE FIT! Muscle strength and flexibility are a key in preventing falls. Normal age related changes or medical conditions can decrease strength over time. The best thing to prevent falls is to BE FIT!

If you aren't fit, GET FIT. Get involved in some regular physical activities such as walking, bicycling, swimming, hiking, rowing a boat or canoe, gardening, dancing,tennis, ....pick a sport you like.

The object is to improve muscle strength, flexibility and joint range of motion. A person is NEVER too old to increase all of these. That's right. A 95 year old person could improve all of these vital abilities, even at such an age.

So, it is never too late to start working on muscle strengthening. (PRECAUTION: TO BE SAFE, BE SURE TO GET DOCTOR'S APPROVAL BEFORE BEGINNING A HOME PROGRAM)

USE COMMON HOME PRODUCTS FOR CHEAP WEIGHTS

STEPS TO FITNESS

1. See doctor: If you need to get fit, start by getting an appointment with your physician.

2. Make a plan: Discuss a good plan for you to begin getting fit.

3. Start slow, build up gradually: Sometimes, to gain strength, starting at the beginning means just doing an activity. When the activity gets easier, you can add some resistance (add some weights) to build strength and endurance. Always starting with a small amount and build up.

CREATIVE AND CHEAP WEIGHTS

Over the years, as an occupational therapist offering home health therapy services, I had to be creative to help people use what they had to help themselves. Often cost was a limiting factor for many people. "I/we can't afford to buy expensive weights" was something I commonly heard.

The good news was then and is now, ....you don't have to spend money on buying weights! I have suggested using all of the following items found in kitchen pantries or garages to use as weights, such as the following:

1. 8 ounce box of spaghetti
2. 8 ounce can of soup (vegetables, pie filling,...whatever is on hand)
3. 1 pound of rice: TIP: Put the pound of rice in another bag or a sock (in case of breakage)
4. 3 pounds of onions
5. 5 pounds of potatoes
6. A large box of washing detergent
7. A container of CRISCO
8. A pocketbook filled with golf balls (worked great for leg strengthening activities, and also for people who could not hold weights due to painful arthritic joints.
9. a bag of oranges (increase or decrease the weight as able)
10. a broom handle
11. a copper pipe
12. you get the idea, right?

A really funny story happened a long time ago when I had a patient who had a Yorkie. Yorkies love to stick their little noses into their master's business. Anyway, a patient of mine had a Yorkie, who weighed about 3 pounds. Her little Yorkie would not let her alone when she was doing her weight lifting. One day, my patient got the bright idea if the little boy Yorkie wouldn't let her alone, she would use him for the weight lifting!

As it turned out, the Yorkie loved it! He pestered her every day to do her exercises. His tail wagged the whole time she did her routine with him, and they both had fun while she got stronger.Such is working in home health rehabilitation. Use what you can! You never know what will work for someone.

Let me know what works for you.

Tomorrow's blog will be on a few more strategies to reduce personal fall risk factors.

Internet resources for today's blog:

SAFE Aging Newsletter: http://www.safeaging.com/newsletter/May2005newsletter.htm#fallriskfactors

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/preventadultfalls.htm

Stay healthy, be SAFE.

Dr. Vanessa

Vanessa M. Dazio, OTD, OTR/L

www.safeaging.com

www.medictag911.com

www.safeaging.blogspot.com

WISE AGING: Tips to Reduce Bathroom Falls Risk

Many falls resulting in serious injuries such as fractures and brain injuries, happen in the bathroom. Reasons often cited are slippery tub/shower, wet floor; loss of balance with slippery floor surface.



Think about it. Bathing and showering is a daily activity that increases the risk of falling due to the conditions. (wet and slippery) People even in the best of condition have slipped in the tub and fallen.



There are some really simple things that can be done to reduce fall risks. These tips work well for everyone. I heartily recommend the following:



THINGS TO DO! FOR EVERYONE



1. Install safety rails: I think the single most important purchase you can buy for bathroom safety is safety rails for the tub or shower. No home should be without them. I wish it was a universal requirement.



2. Add non- slip strips or a safety matt to the tub/shower floor.



3. Install a phone in the bathroom.


4. Install a night light in the bathroom. (I like the automatic night lights that turn on whenever they detect movement.



5. Keep floors dry at all times.



THINGS TO DO: IF UNSTEADY BALANCE



1. Use a shower chair (rather than standing to shower)



TIP: There are many types of shower chairs or transfer tub seats. It is important to get the best one for your specific circumstances. I have used and recommended using molded outdoor plastic chairs. They generally cost about $6-$10 and usually fit in most tubs or showers, depending on how the base of the legs are designed.



2. Do not bend or twist while standing. (These are awkward postures that change the center of gravity, and further reduce balance.



3. Install a handheld shower attachment with extra long hose (this makes it alot easier to get to all the places that need to be washed without having to bend and twist)


4. Use safety rails (AKA grab bars) for additional support when bathing (washing legs, lower back, upper back, hair, etc.)



5. Use soap on a rope, to prevent the possibility of dropping the soap and having to chase it.



TIP: Soap on a rope can be easily made at home. (Here's how: Take a skewer and make a hole through the soap. I usually put the hole closer to the middle. Then tie a piece of rope on it. Usually 4 feet long, but you decide how much rope you need.

Oh, some soaps are better to do this with than others. Creamier soaps are better than flakier soaps.)



6. Organize useful things within an easy reach. (Avoid storing anything above the shoulders or below the knees.)



WHAT NOT TO DO!



1. Never lock the bathroom door.



2. Never, ever, ever use a towel rack, soap tray, shelves or other attachments not anchored in the wall, as a support for body weight.



3. Never turn suddenly while washing in shower.



For more detailed information, please take a look at my newsletter articles.



http://www.safeaging.com/newsletter/Aug2006newsletter.htm



http://www.safeaging.com/newsletter/Nov2004newsletter.htm

Be wise, stay safe,
Dr. Vanessa

Vanessa M. Dazio, OTD, OTR/L
SAFE AGING
www.safeaging.com
www.medictag911.com

WISE AGING: TIPS to Reduce Falling Risks at Home

Falls with injuries happen alot at home. Sometimes, they aren't because of a home hazard, such as a slippery or damaged floor, or tripping over the dog. The following is a common scenario often repeated as a reason for injuries that happened to patients seen in rehabilitation programs.

Scenario: Person is sound asleep. Doorbell rings. Person jumps up quickly to answer the door. Person felt dizzy, then fainted, falling to the floor. Person wakes up, lying on the floor in a lot of pain. Oops, a broken hip, leg, arm,...etc. What the heck happened?

There is a logical reason for fainting in this manner. In a "nutshell," time is needed for the heart to adjust for increases in blood pressure, caused when the body quickly moves from lying down to sitting or standing. Basically, the heart needs a moment to readjust it's pumping action.

WISE AGING TIP: How to REDUCE RISK OF FALLING DUE TO POSTURE CHANGES

Prevent the risk of falling due to rapid posture changes by taking a few minutes to

A. Slowly rise to a sitting, up right position.

B. Then sit still (on edge of bed, couch, etc) for another minute or two.

C. Do this simple act to reduce the risk of falling due to postural changes after sleeping.

That's it. Just take an extra couple of minutes to let the heart adjust it's pumping action. If this can be added every time to the routine of getting up from the bed or couch, a lot of falls can be prevented.

CAUTION! There can be many other reasons for fainting, besides getting up too quickly. Fainting should be reported to your doctor immediately to determine the cause.

If you want more info about fainting, here is a link about fainting. falling.http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fallcost.htm#how%20big%20is%20problem

Be wise, be safe, be healthy,

Dr. Vanessa

Vanessa M. Dazio, OTD, OTR/L
SAFE AGING
www.safeaging.com

WISE AGING: 4 Major Tips to Reduce the Risk of Falling

Falls are Preventable

Falls are accidents, and accidents can be prevented. It only takes one fall to cause:

• a dis-abling injury
• loss of independence
• severe financial difficulties
• major change in lifestyle
• intense suffering and/or
• death
  

General Statistics About Falls

Some people really like statistics to back up statements, so, here are a few. If you want more, check out the references listed at the bottom of this article.

• "One in three adults 65 and older falls each year."

• "Of those who fall, 20% to 30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that make it hard for them to get around or live independently, and increase their chances of early death."

• "Every 18 seconds, an older adult is treated in an emergency department for a fall, and every 35 minutes someone in this population dies as a result of their injuries."

• " Older adults are hospitalized for fall-related injuries five times more often than they are for injuries from other causes."

An Occupational Therapists Role in Fall RIsk Reduction

Over the years, as an occupational therapist, I worked with many people who fell, broke bones, and got to meet me in the hospital, nursing home and adult living facilities, as a result of their injuries.

In those settings, my task was to train the person to compensate for their functional losses (caused by their fall) so they could do their basic daily life activities as independently as possible until they did heal, then go home.

This was almost always a process that included other family members, friends or neighbors so they could learn how to help the injured person. Falls rarely affected just the person who broke the bone(s).

My favorite work was always in the home. If the injured person was able to return home, it was my job to identify home hazards, barriers or problem actions that could promote accidents.

Then, I educated the person and their family about risk reduction. I identified their home hazards, barriers or unsafe actions, and educated the injured person and their support system, on actions that could be done to reduce the risks of injury.

Let me say this, over 25 years of practice, and I am still amazed at some of the unbelievably unsafe situations people have at home.

The Costs of Falls


The costs can be staggering financially, personally and socially. Here are a few more statistics to back up my topic today.

Amazing Statistics from the US. Center of Disease Control

Average cost: By 2020, the annual direct and indirect cost of fall injuries is expected to reach $54.9 billion (in 2007 dollars).

• ".....(In a study of people age 72 and older, the average health care cost of a fall injury totaled $19,440 (this included hospital, nursing home, emergency room, and home health care, but not doctors’ services.)
  

WISE AGING TIPS:

4 Major things a person or family can do to prevent falls.

1. Get fit: Maintaining muscle strength, joint flexibility and complete joint range of motion increases the ability to quickly recuperate from a loss of balance.

2. Review all of your medications with doctor or pharmacist: REASON: Check for medication side effects that could cause dizziness, lightheadedness, excessive sleepiness, etc.

3. Get a yearly eye exam: REASON: Vision does decline with age. Annual eye exams detect early vision changes or loss. Often vision loss can be corrected with eyewear, or other medical help, including medications, and preventive or corrective surgery.

4. Make your home safer: REASON: Home hazards are often cited as the cause of a fall. Eliminate the hazards, and fall risk is reduced.

WISE AGING's BLOG

Tomorrow's blog will include some other details about falling, and what actions you can take to reduce fall related risks.

Resources for statistics were retrieved from the Internet on April 1, 2009



http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fallcost.htm#how%20big%20is%20problem

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003093.htm


http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/preventadultfalls.htm

http://www.safeaging.com/information/ReduceYourRiskofFalling.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fallcost.htm#how%20big%20is%20problem

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003093.htm

Be wise, stay safe and have a healthy day.

Dr. Vanessa

Vanessa M. Dazio, OTD, OTR/L

Prolong Driving Safety: Care for Yourself Like You Care for Your Car

It really is possible to prolong safe driving years. If you care for yourself like you care for your car (assuming you are doing a fine job of caring for your car!) you can prolong your safe driving years.

The Most Important Tip: Schedule Preventive Maintenance

1. Get routine scheduled preventive check ups with your doctor. (like your car gets with the mechanic)
Regular physicals that include all of the following:

• Get an annual eye exam (Like checking your lights)
• Get all the required medical screenings (To make sure everything is OK)
• Keep your body well lubed ( Eat good nutritious food and drink plenty of water)
• Keep your muscles (Like the belts in your car) flexible and in good condition
• Stay fit or get fit (A good routine maintenance program)
• Wear good shoes (Like good tires, they are the basis for your ride and help with balance!)
• Keep your mind in excellent condition (Just like your car engine)
• Be aware of medications that cause fatigue, sleepiness, visual, physical or mental changes (Like additives in a car, you have to know what happens when you use them)

Next blog will include details to explain the "how" of this section, then more tips.

Be WISE and healthy.

Dr. Vanessa M. Dazio

Let's Work To Prolong Older Driver Safety

Let's Work to Prolong Older Driver Safety

Limited Public Transportation

Our beautiful USA is vast in size. Our largest cities have subway systems that help get people from place to place. The majority of US citizens live in cities and towns without subway systems. So many of our cities are sprawling and crawling over greater and greater distances. Supermarkets and malls are massive. Hospitals and churches are enormous. Theaters and sports arenas are mega centers. Parking lots are huge. Distances between one business and another are long.

We now depend on driving to get to where we need to go. Driving makes doing possible. It requires less effort, less time, and we can cover far greater distances when driving a car. Driving gives us independence and freedom to go where we want to go, when we want to go. Never has the car been more valuable than now.

Unfortunately, due to the normal aging process, vital driving skills do decline. For instance, vision is a critical skill that commonly declines with age. Physical strength, range of motion, coordination, and other senses may also decline. Some mental abilities may decline. Dementia may also happen to some. Such changes or combinations of changes can be cause for discontinuing driving if safety is compromised.

When this time does come, relinquishing a driver's license is necessary. Giving it up can be a crushing experience. I think we should be doing everything possible to prolong older driving safety. Please, hear me out.

Driving Cessation Programs

We have a number of wonderful government and non-profit agencies devoted to public safety. They have been doing a crucial job in promoting "driving cessation" programs. (Driving cessation programs are designed to get unsafe drivers to stop driving before accidents happen.)

They have well developed brochures, programs, educational packets and materials describing red flags, warning signs or symptoms, to help people recognize unsafe driving behaviors.

But, I am just not seeing much of anything on what the older driver can do to prolong older driver safety.

Let's Work To Prolong Older Driver Safety

I would like to see our government devoting as much or more resources on educating the public on how to prolong older driver safety.

How about it? The next couple of blogs, I will devote to tips for the older driver on how to prolong safe driving skills.

Let me know what you think.

Stay safe and healthy.

Dr. Vanessa M. Dazio

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Unsafe towel rack

UNSAFE TOWEL ROD PLACEMENT

This lovely lady was nice enough to let me photograph her bathroom. This was a shocker!I honestly could not believe the placement of her towel rod and her hand held shower hose placement. She was living with this, and had been living with it for years.

This wonderful lady was in excellent health, and as you can see by her reach, she had full range of motion in her shoulders, and excellent neck range of motion. She could really stretch, thank heavens, because she would be out of luck, otherwise!

She said she could not put a dry towel on the rack from out side of the tub. (See the commode would be an obstacle preventing easy access)

Even in the tub,she could not put a wet towel on the rack after drying herself, without a huge amount of difficulty. Notice that she is standing directly under the towel rod. She still can't reach to touch the top of the towel rod.

As a result, she literally has to throw the towel on the rod to get it there.

Think about this. She has to completely turn (to get a towel) There are no safety rails in her tub area to provide support. What happens when soap and slippery floors are added to this scenario? What could happen when she removes her glasses while bathing? Suppose the telephone or door bell rings, she is distracted, and needs to get the towel, and hurry out of the tub?

My recommendation:

Lower the towel rod and the hand held shower rod (you saw in the previous post.) due to the excessive height location. The placement of both were extreme fall risk hazards for her. I also recommended a non slip bath tub mat, and the addition of safety rails, as well as an easily accessible telephone.

Stay safe and healthy.

Dr. Vanessa

UNSAFE SHOWER HEAD PLACEMENT

Hello,





Just wanted you all to see the placement of this shower head. This shower head was also placed too high, in relation to the height of the woman who had to use it. (See yesterday's post about the unsafe towel placement)
This is a picture example of what not to do.

She had to almost fully extend her neck (see the position of her forehead-it was almost completely facing the ceiling!)

As she extended her arms to reach for the hand held shower head, her risk of slipping in the tub increased even more.

The location of the shower head forced her into an awkward posture. This posture changed her trunk balance and stability. Once her stability was out of balance, her fall risk became greater than average fall risk in a slippery tubn.

My recommendation was to lower this shower head, using a sliding vertical bar, which eventually settled the problem. The shower head could be raised and lowered as needed, with minimal damage to her tiles. It was a cost effective solution, that satisfied the client, and made her life easier and safer.

Stay safe and healthy.

Dr. Vanessa

UNSAFE Towel Rod Placement

Hi,

As you can see, this is a picture of a towel rod that was installed way too high for this woman's height. This placement created an enormous fall risk hazard.

The reason: The position of the rod, in relation to her height, forced her to stretch beyond a comfortable limit.

Imagine adding soap suds to a slippery tub floor, maybe limited vision, and you have an accident ready to happen.

Anyway, my best advice,....don't do this.

Signing off.

Dr. Vanessa

Some intermediate smoking risk factors

Intermediate Smoking Risk Factors

Who hasn't heard that smoking is bad for health? Rarely do we hear why. Here are a few thinga that happen to the body with smoking:

• Damage to medium & small arteries: AKA: Atherosclerosis: Arteries clog up; Get ready for heart attacks
• Holes start to happen in the lungs: AKA: Emphysema (enlarged air sacs in the lungs) Very hard to breath; coughing starts; increased mucous
• Blood pressure increases: Arteries aren't able to easily pump blood efficiently and it is harder to get fresh air into the blood system
• Bones get less dense, because nicotine reduces calcium absorption. Reduced bone density causes:. Osteoporosis. The end result is fragile, weak and brittle bones.

That's just some of the intermediate effects of smoking.

Signing off for today.

Dr. Vanessa

Passive Smoking

If you are a smoker, more than likely today's litte blog might turn you off. But here goes any way. There is no point in saying how much damage smoking does to the smoker's body. Smoker's are warned ad nauseam about that. No smoker cares about that until the time they decide to quit. If a smoker smokes anywhere near someone else, they don't care about them, either. Second hand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults.

(I generalize but why does it so often have to be AFTER the person is diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, asthma, emphysema, etc.) Think of the huge costs we pay as taxpayers due to lifestyle medical conditions such as cancer and heart conditions caused by smoking. The amounts are astronomical.

Anyway, I don't smoke. I don't want to be near smoke of any kind. What annoys me is I don't have a choice when I have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get somewhere or leave a place.
I don't want to walk through smoky entrance way doors to get to a place I want to go. (Like a restaurant, a movie theater, a store) I don't want to go to a place of entertainment like an outdoor concert, or a shopping center, or a racetrack and have to tolerate second hand smoke.
The dangers of second hand smoke are real; they are life threatening and there are a lot of them.

Yesterday, I went to a casino. I left stinking of smoke, but worse, I was hacking, coughing and hoarse. It made me sick. What totally set me off, was when I ask a woman to move her cigarette (politely) out of my face. She was highly insulted. She also impolitely let me know I should move if I didn't like it. Well, I didn't like it, and I HAD TO MOVE!

Passive smoke,also known as second hand smoke, is when a nonsmoker breathes smoke from someone else's cigarette, pipe, or cigar. The idea that I have to ingest smoke that came from someone else's mouth is really disgusting,...but here is why I get so upset.

Second hand smoke has more than 50 cancer causing agents

• It has at least 250 chemicals that are known to be toxic or carcinogenic.(cause cancer)
• According to the Office of the Surgeon General "concentrations of many cancer-causing and toxic chemicals are higher in secondhand smoke than in the smoke inhaled by smokers."

Poisons in Cigarette Smoke

The smoke that comes off the tip of a cigarette is twenty times more deadly than the smoke that is inhaled by the smoker. Besides nicotine, here are a few other poisons in cigarette smoke:

• Acetone: one ingredient in nail polish remover
• Ammonia: this increases the amount of nicotine absorption in the body
• Benzene: Used in pesticides and causes leukemia
• Formaldehyde: Embalming fluid
• Lead: (Causes anemia and stomach problems. It also damages the brain, nerves and the reproductive system)
• Hydrogen cyanide: (Used in the gas chambers)
• Toulene: (Highly toxic substance found in paint thinner)

Second Hand Smoke and Children

I am a grandparent now. Kids just should not be around smokers. They imitate smokers, so you are pretty much guarenteeing a future smoker. Plus, their little lungs and bodies are getting huge doses of toxic poisons.

Here is what passive smoke can do to kids:

• Slows long growth
• Causes breathing symptoms
• Causes colds, bronchitis, more frequent and severe asthma attacks
• It can reduce a child's ability to learn.
• It causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Low birth weight
• Middle ear problems
• Brain tumors, and other diseases
• and there is so much more, but you get the picture
  

Myths About Second Hand Smoke

• Myth 1: Air conditioning eliminates exposure to smoke toxins
• Myth 2: Ventilation eliminates exposure to second hand smoke
• Myth 3: Opening a window in a home eliminates exposure to second hand smoke
• Myth 4: Separating smokers from nonsmokers in one area of a building eliminates exposure to second hand smoke
  

WISE AGING TIPS To REDUCE HEALTH RISKS DUE TO SECOND HAND SMOKE

FOR SMOKERS

• Protect your loved ones from second hand smoke
• If you are a smoker, do everyone a favor and quit.
• If you have kids around, NEVER smoke around them
• Avoid touching kids after you have smoked.
• If you have smoked, change clothes and shower before touching children or anyone else.
• Smoke outside, as far away from your home as you can
  

FOR NON SMOKERS

• Do not allow children to be exposed to smoke
• Ask others not to smoke around you or loved ones
• Do not allow anyone to hold or touch your children or grandchilren if they are smokers
• Do not frequent businesses that permit smoking.
• Thank and support businesses that have smoke free policies.
• Be an advocate against smoking
• Walk as far around clouds of smoke as possible
• Ask people to quit smoking around you
• Move away from people who refuse to quit smoking around you
• Do not allow anyone to smoke in your house

To read a complete article in the SAFE AGING newsletter, take a look at http://www.safeaging.com/newsletter/Aug2007newsletter.htm

There are a number of Internet resources if you want more info. Please feel free to comment.

To anyone who knows a legislator,...how about stopping public smoking altogether? It is time.

Your Body! The Only One You Get!

Hi Everyone. Thanks so much for joining. I really appreciate it. Please let me know your thoughts, and feel free to participate.



Your Body! The Only One You Get!


The amazing body is such an incredible, masterful design! Think about it. Muscles were created differently to do specific jobs in different places. It is just astonishing how the way the fibers were developed changed the function of the muscles ability.

Bones were formed in different strengths, and sizes and densities and variations....the structure of the bone provided the support or the framework needed for the function it was designed to do. Well, that is just another architectual marvel.

Then, muscles, bones and joints work together to create movement. Together, they gave our bodies power, strength, control, coordination, balance, precision, mobility.

The amazing heart pumps gallons of nourishing blood throughout the body. Other organs were designed to hold fluids, filter fluids, get rid of solids and liquids, and even create and sustain another life.



Then there is the astonishing central command, the brain! The brain controls all of it.
So, there is no doubt about it. The body is amazing! And, it is the only one we get! It has to last us from birth to death.



Together, the entire system is prepared to last an amazingly long time, as long as we care for it, like the amazing machine that it is. We only get one body. It is ours to keep and to care for it as long as we have it.


My Fascination with the Body and the Mind



As a child, I spent many, many hours reading my father's dental, medical and anatomy books from college. I just couldn't get enough of those books. My whole life, I have been fascinated by the body.

• How it worked.


• How there can be so many different looking people, with so many different personalities, yet still have the same inner workings.


• Why and how things mess up the body's natural balance.


• Why seemingly miraculous things happen without explanation.


• Why some people seem to get better due to pure guts, stamina, desire, hard headedness, belief in others, belief in above, belief in something.


• Why other just give up.


• How the body develops.


• How the body heals itself.


• How to rid the body of pain.

I have also been equally fascinated by the human mind.

• How an attitude can affect what we do and how we do it.


• How a belief can provide total clarity or completely muck up (something) You name it.


• How strong the power of personal beliefs are.


• How our brains work, the flexibility we have.


• How much information we use and store in any one second.


• How we can recall information from long ago and forget what we did seconds ago.


• How we use our brains to communicate to ourselves and to others.

Well, this list could go on an on, but you get the idea. The brain has to be the most fascinating structure of any in the body.

Triggering the Power Within

So, as it turned out, my entire career as an occupational therapist focused on how to enable the person's body and mind to work together to achieve their desired outcome, despite whatever challenge happened to them.....

My goals were to enable people to fully participate in their lives again. But, for the longest time, as a new graduate, my first question was, "how am I going to make them improve?

I eventually realized it was never about me. It was always about the person I was working with, and their power within. The major magic, the tweaking point, the value of my therapeutic service was really how would I trigger their power within?

Well, that's it for today's thoughts. Hope you all have a great day. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Dr. Vanessa

Wise Aging: Back to the Basics

Good morning to my first follower! Thank you for your interest.


At birth, Mom and Dad were responsible for our health, safety and well being.

They made sure we :

• Ate good, nutritious food


• Exercised (went outside to play)


• Got plenty of rest


• Had fun (socialized, made friends, did fun things)


• Had regular preventive health check-ups


• Learned alot (read, studied, went to school)


• Were protected from harm (they watched out for you, looking for risks and hazards)

Wise Aging is about going back to basics, watching out for yourself.

The same things that Mom and Dad made sure for you as a child applies through adulthood.

The only difference is now you are responsible for your self.

The next posting will be "Your Body: The Only One You Get!

Have a safe and happy day. Dr. Vanessa

What are occupational Therapists?

What are occupational therapists?

• Occupational therapy practitioners are highly trained health care professionals.


• Our college education includes the study of human growth and development.


• It emphasizes the social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury.


• We consider all aspects of the person's life to find the best, most relevant, practical enabling solutions.
  

What is the purpose of occupational therapy?

I would say our overall goal is to promote health and wellness by finding solutions that enable people to live lives to their fullest.


What role do OT's have in health care?

Our role's vary. It depends on the setting. But usually, an OT will try to find the best solution(s) for the person they are working with

• to maximize abilities


• to improve safety


• to increase or maintain or restore independence


• to promote or enhance the quality of life.

OT's work with people who

• are healthy
• are injured
• have diseases
• have conditions that limit their ability to actively participate in life
• are at risk of injury or ill health
  

You will see OT's working with

• High risk infants, children, teenagers
• Developmentally challenged
• Adults and seniors
• Physically and or mentally challenged
• The dying
• Pre- and post surgical patients
• People who have hand injuries or motor vehicle injuries
• People who have work injuries
• In the armed forces, peace corps
• Athletes
• The list is endless, etc.

What role do OT's have in non-medical settings?

In non medical settings, occupational therapists may work with groups or organizations as consultants or in leadership roles.

Our overall goals are usually to promote health and wellness, but maybe on a much larger scale.

Generally speaking, our duty might be to educate others. We may work to enable our clients to find useful, practical solutions that maximize abilities, safety, independence and/or quality of life of "customers", "clients," "parishioners," "taxpayers," communities, etc.

The role varies according to the setting and the goal. Our goal might just be to promote health and well being, such as with new moms and their babies.

OT's are now involved in the mainstream of so many different businesses and programs. OT's offer an amazing "wholistic" perspective. So many businesses are seeing the benefit of hiring occupational therapists as health and wellness consultants or lifestyle coaches because of our unique educational background.

I am certainly available. For more information, see www.safeaging.com. Well, that is all about occupational therapy.

After this, unless anyone wants to talk more about this, we will move on to talk about health, injury prevention, safety, and other wise aging tips.

That's it for today. The end of my first blogging experience. Now, if I can only manage to get this blog posted, I can call it a night. Good night all

.

What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

Occupational therapists work to promote the health and wellness of people of all ages, so they can live life to the fullest.


We are able to work with people who are at risk of developing or who have

• injuries
• illnesses
• diseases
• chronic conditions
• activity limitations

My FIrst Day

Hello,

My name is Dr. Vanessa. For more information about me, see my profile, or check out my web site at http://www.safeaging.com/dazio.htm .

Why do this blog?

1. I believe this: People don't know what they don't know. Duh!

• If a person hasn't been trained in health care, it can seem like a foreign world.


• The language is frightful and very hard to understand.


• Doctors are busy, and so many people are afraid to take up their time.


• Many people are still afraid to ask questions.


• Many just do not know what questions should be asked.

2. If you don't recognize a risk, a hazard, or a potential problem, you cannot fix it.

In health care , we spend our greatest resources on reacting, that is, working after the fact. We treat the sick or injured person with all that we have after they have suffered a massive injury, or after they are hospitalized for a very severe medical condition.

We provide rehabilitation services to people after they have a stroke, or break a hip, or lose their vision. Then, we get to visit the person in their home, and make suggestions to improve home safety, but unfortunately, always after the fact!

Anyway, my point is, so much money and effort is and has been spent on reaction or treatment. And, don't forget, how much pain and suffering has been caused due to so many preventable injuries, and so many horrible health conditions (many caused by lifestyle choices.)

Why aren't we focusing our major efforts on really helping people to self recognize and self manage risk factors or hazardous situations that caused the

• injury


• ill health


• discomfort


• loss of abilities


• loss of independence


• decline in quality of life

3. Why aren't we, as medical professionals helping our healthy seniors to stay healthy, to wisely and safely live fulfilling lives at home and in their community?

The answer is, we are unable to make a living. Insurers have not yet recognized this preventive approach as cost effective. The individual senior hasn't recognized this as that important, if it is an out of the pocket cost. Until insurers offer in home preventive visits by skilled occupational therapists, for the purpose of identifying, quantifying and helping healthy seniors to manage risk,

we will continue to work in the same old medical model of treatment. Something has to give.

4. How can we help people to figure out their own level of risk?

I think that starts with knowledge. So, my blog will try to focus on a wide range of topics about health, safety and injury prevention, in the home, on the road, and in the community. If something risky applies to the reader, that is a good indicator that you just may have that risk factor. Sound the alarm and see if there is something you can do about it. If you have a question, write in, and maybe we can all figure it,...who knows,...with prevention, you can't say for sure we saved a life, or prevented a broken hip,.....but just knowing you improved something that could have caused an accident has to make a person feel good. Right?

5. How can we help people to make the needed changes before anything serious happens to them?

Once people are aware of risks, or can recognize hazards, they can make changes. By changes, I mean, eliminating or at least reducing the risks. Knowledge is power.

So, I will post articles, pictures, comments, and maybe some slide shows and videos (eventually) and other things, as I get more proficient, to help people learn how to help them selves at home.

Who Might Be Interested in Wise Aging Blog?

• Healthy adults


• Healthy seniors


• Seniors living at home with some difficulty


• Senior service providers


• Family members


• Businesses serving seniors


• Legislators


• Insurance companies


• Health care equipment companies


• Caregivers


• Nursing aids, technicians


• Others,....please let me know who you are


• Students


• Nursing homes and ALF's

How often will I blog?

At this point, I don't know yet. I am a newbie at this, and technically awful. I need help at this blogging stuff. So, as a new learner, please forgive me until I get the hang of this. I will do my best to do regular entries.

To Interested Followers

I look forward to comments, suggestions, ideas, questions, etc. Also, anyone who notices I am doing something wrong with any of the technicalities of posting, PLEASE tell me.

About Ads

I will be honest with everyone, I am hoping to make some additional income through the use of AdSense, as this does take away some extra spare time. I hope you all understand and graciously accept this, and support the sponsors in the ads.