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