Fall is just around the corner.  When you think of fall, you may think of the leaves changing, cooler weather, and hay rides, but this year also think about fall prevention.  Fall Prevention Awareness Day is September 23, 2010, the first day of fall.  This year 34 states are participating Falls Prevention Awareness Day.  The day is intended to promote and increase public awareness of reducing and preventing falls in older adults.  To continue to do our part in fall awareness and prevention in older adults, The Aging Suite will be featuring a two part series discuss important fall prevention information.

It’s estimated that 77% of falls occur in the home, with people tripping over items and falling on the stairs as being the top two causes of falls.  An April 2004 report by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disability, Aging and Long Term Care Policy, and ABT Associates, Inc, stated that falls are the leading cause of injury deaths in adults 65 and older.

Falls can result in injuries such as rib, hip and wrist fractures, decreased independence with everyday activities, fear of getting around one’s home, and even having to live outside the home with relatives or in a nursing home.    There are however, some simple things you can do to decrease the likelihood of falls in your home.  Some of these things include:

• Having a health care professional check your medications
• Assessing your home for safety risks
• Getting your vision checked annually
• Exercising regularly to maintain agility

For more information on aging, check out the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website, www.cdc.gov

To read the April 2004 report by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disability, Aging and Long Term Care Policy, and ABT Associates, Inc, check out this link

We can’t talk enough about the importance of medication management.  Managing your medications starts with making sure you know the names of your medications and their potential side effects.  Talk to your pharmacist about your medications, make sure you know the correct dosage and any possible side effects.  Learn more about medication management by visiting the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

This week, we talked about the importance of medication management in fall prevention.  It’s important to let your physician know all the medications you’re taking including prescribed and over the counter medication.  Another very important thing to do is to provide your physician with a detailed health history.  A detailed health history can help your physician identify your risk for disease.

The Surgeon General’s “My Family Health Portrait” is a great, free resource to help you and your family keep track of your family health history.  It’s an easy to access tool that helps gather your family’s health information.  Better still, your privacy won’t be compromised if you use the program as it does not keep or store your information. Click here to learn more.

Last week we talked about fall statistics and the intrinsic and environmental factors related to falls.  This week, we’ll be talking about the importance of medication management in fall prevention.  We’ll also discuss things you can do around your home to make it safer.  Medication Management

Taking multiple medications can cause dizziness and fainting.  Studies have shown that there is a link between medications used to treat depression in the elderly and the incidence of falls with subsequent fractures. Research has also indicated that taking the following increase fall risks:

• Cardiac drugs
• Digoxin
• Diuretics
• Psychotropic medications

Because many seniors take more than one medication and have more than one medical issue, it is really important that they have their medications reviewed by a healthcare professional to ensure medications don’t cause or contribute to falls.  Other simple things you can do around your home include:

In the Bathroom

• Use of ADA approved grab bars
• Use of a shower bench/tub
• Use of a hand held shower
• Use of a bathmat inside and outside the tub/shower

In the Kitchen

• Remove throw rugs
• Clear walking paths and doorways throughout the entire home
• Clean up spills immediately
• Don’t wax floors

On stairs

• Install lighting at top and bottom of stairs
• Make sure stairs are level
• Install handrails on both sides
• Remove items from steps

Source:  Center for Health and Long Term Care Research

March is brain injury awareness month. In this week’s feature, we talked about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and learned that falls are the leading cause of TBIs in seniors.  While today is the last day of the month, it’s never too late to implement these tips to reduce your risk of falls at home.

 Have a health care professional check your medications

 Assess your home for safety risks

 Get your vision checked annually

 Exercise regularly to maintain agility

Our homes are our oasis, a safe and comforting place.  Yet, sometimes we unwittingly endanger ourselves and with unsafe items.   The Week of March 14 – 20 is National Poison Prevention Week. Poisonings occur each year preventing thousands of seniors from aging in place.

Senior citizens are at increased risk for medication poisoning because they often take multiple medications.  Prevent medication poisoning by:

• Carefully reading medication labels and making sure that taking your medication with food and alcohol is not contraindicated
• Talking to your doctor before you take over the counter medications including natural supplements
• Throwing out old medications, old medications can be dangerous
• Not sharing your prescriptions with friends or family members

Medications aren’t the only source of poisonings in the home.  According to the EPA, every 13 seconds, the US Poison Control Centers get calls regarding poison exposure

Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a serious problem and can kill before someone even realizes that they’ve been poisoned.  Senior citizens, children, and those with heart and lung problems are at increased risk for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning include:

• Nausea/vomiting
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Disorientation
• Fatigue

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be of greater concern in the winter when people are heating their homes.  Carbon monoxide gas can be produced from:

• Furnaces
• Wood stoves
• Fireplaces
• Kerosene heaters

Simple steps can prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home.  They include:

• Installing carbon monoxide alarms throughout the home
• Using the oven to heat your home
• Never running your car in the garage, even if the garage door is open
• Having a professional check your home, including your appliances, furnace, and chimney annually

Everyday cleaning products can be a source of poisoning as well.  Mixing bleach and ammonium creates deadly chlorine gas.  Prevent poisonings from household products by:

• Reading the labels on your household cleaners
• Wearing gloves and opening windows when using cleaning products

To learn more about poison control click here

Sources:  Fact sheet: Prevention of Accidental Poisoning among Elderly American Association of Poison Control Centers

US Environmental Protection Agency

Mixing the wrong medications can be very serious.  Keep a record of all the medications you use, whether they are prescribed, over the counter, herbal supplements, vitamins, etc, and share with your doctor or healthcare professional. Check out the Food and Drug Administration’s site for Medicines in My Home, to learn more about what you can do to choose and use over the counter medicines safely.

This time of year we often reflect on the type of year we’ve had.  As The Aging Suite prepares for 2010, we’d also like to take this time to review some topics we’ve talked about this past year.  Thanks for your support, comments, and questions.  Please, keep them coming.  Plus, stayed tuned in 2010 to see our new changes including our new updated format.

So, here we go:

Fall Prevention wrap up

Fall prevention was a big topic discussed this year at The Aging Suite, and it’s no wonder with the personal, social, and economic impact that falls can have.  Falls can have a devastating impact on older individuals.  They can result in injuries such as wrist and hip fractures, decreased independence with everyday activities; fear of getting around one’s home, and even having to live outside the home with relatives or in a nursing home.  It’s estimated that 77% of falls occur in the home, with people tripping over items and falling on the stairs as being the top two causes of falls.

Falls occur more often among women who have one or more medical condition and live alone.  They are also typically taking more than one medication, which may increase the likelihood of dizziness and fainting.  Taking multiple medications can cause dizziness and fainting.  Studies have shown that there is a link between medications used to treat depression in the elderly and the incidence of falls with subsequent fractures. Research has also indicated that use of:

• Cardiac drugs
• Digoxin
• Diuretics
• Psychotropic medications

have all been shown to increase fall risks.

There are some simple things you can do to decrease the likelihood of falls in your home.  They include:

• Having a health care professional check your medications
• Assessing your home for safety risks
• Getting your vision checked annually
• Exercising regularly to maintain agility

Join us Wednesday as we present our Aging in Place wrap up.

Last week, we talked about the global statistics of HIV/AIDS and learned that 15% of all newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases are in those 50 and older.  We also learned that the virus that causes HIV can cause dementia and the virus and/or drugs used to treat it can cause osteoporosis and osteonecrosis as well as peripheral neuropathy.  These conditions can all impact someone’s ability to age within their home.   This week however, we’ll be talking more about why the numbers for those 50 and older are being diagnosed with HIV.   I think there’s a belief/feeling out there that older people can’t get HIV/AIDS, but clearly, the numbers show differently.  So, why are people aged 50 and older accounting for 15% of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases?

1.  Not practicing safe sex

•  With the use of medications for erectile dysfunction, more older men may be engaging in unsafe sexual activity

•  Older women don’t risk getting pregnant and so are not asking their partners to use condoms

•  Also, with age, women experience vaginal thinning and dryness, which can cause vaginal tears

2.  Injecting drugs or smoking crack

•  HIV through injection drug use accounts for more than 16% of AIDS cases in adults 50 and older

3.  Lack of knowledge about the disease:

•  A lot of older adults may falsely believe this is a disease of youth and not a disease that can impact them

•  Don’t use condoms

•  Don’t get tested

4.  Healthcare workers may underestimate the risk for their patient’s disease and not discuss HIV/AIDS with their older clients

5.  Symptoms may be misdiagnosed

•  Physicians may miss a diagnosis of AIDS including symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, and mental confusion because they think it is part of the normal aging process,

So, what to do next?

If you think you may be at risk for HIV/AIDS, get tested.  While the stigma for HIV/AIDS may be greater for older adults, knowing your status is crucial.  The CDC recommends routine testing for people up to age 64.  They also suggest HIV testing for those 64 and older if they have risk factors for HIV/Infection.  Additionally, the CDC recommends prevention strategies such as education for older adults.

A goal of The Aging Suite is to help educate people about health issues and topics that impact the aging population.  One such topic is HIV/AIDS.  Thanks to improved medications, today people with HIV/AIDS have longer life expectancies.  However, as they age, the virus can impact various systems in the body, affecting their functioning at home and thus their ability to remain living in their home, aka aging in place.

HIV’s impact on the body of an older person:

•  There’s a higher incidence of osteoporosis and osteonecrosis in people with HIV which may be caused by the virus or the   medications used to treat it

•  The Virus can cause peripheral neuropathy which can be due to drugs used to treat the virus or the virus infecting nerve cells

•  Dementia due to HIV

December 1st was World AIDS day.  It’s estimated that more than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.  HIV/AIDS clearly has a huge global impact.  The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), published worldwide statistics on HIV and AIDS in November of 2009.

HIV/AIDS in the older population

According to a 2008 report released by the CDC, the number of people aged 50 years and older living with HIV/AIDS has been increasing.  In

2005 people 50 and older accounted for

• 15% of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases
• 24% of people living with HIV/AIDS
• 35% of all deaths of people with AIDS
• The incidence of HIV/AIDS among people 50 and older is 12 greater among blacks and 5 times greater among his Hispanics

Join us next week as we talk more about HIV/AIDS in the older population.

Source:

aidsinfonet.org and the CDC