Watch as Crystal Littlejohn from Geriatric Resources, LLC answers some of the most frequently asked questions by seniors and their families around what a care manager does, and how they help seniors. Crystal touches on one of their latest initiatives to combat senior loneliness and isolation, along with tips on what to do if your senior resists getting help.

For more resources, advice, and guidance, get in touch with our clinical concierge today.

One of the most common causes of hospitalization among older people is elderly falling. Every year, there are as many as 2 million falls by seniors and as many as 1 in 5 seniors who suffer from an injury from a fall. Due to these statistics, it’s necessary that we underline the importance of incorporating fall prevention tips for seniors to reduce their risk of falling.

Elderly Falling prevention tips

To prevent falls, some seniors use a cane or devices to provide extra stability and balance.

However, these things don’t keep the elderly from falling. When you are trying to protect a loved one, you should take some simple measures to help keep their living space clear of things that could make them trip and fall. Here are some things you can do to help prevent elderly falling:

• Set up low light levels so they don’t have to turn on bright lights when they enter rooms. There are outlet covers that can be used to illuminate the way.
• Keep floors clear of clutter or objects such as electrical cords that could be tripped on. Be sure to tuck them away or always unplug things such as vacuum cleaners.
• Ensure their glasses are set up so they are easy to find. This way, they are less likely to try to get up without them.
• Ensure there is enough room for their walker or wheelchair throughout the house and clear any clutter in the way.
• Offer ways they can exercise regularly to ensure that they maintain a strong core. A strong core helps prevent falls. Weight lifting can also help build the core muscles.
• Always have them sit and get dressed. Many times they can get their feet caught in a pant leg and fall.
• Check medications to ensure they are not only anything that could make them dizzy or lose their balance.

More fall prevention tips for seniors

Of course, there are other tips, such as purchasing good shoes with a good sole. Also, ensure the shoe isn’t some slip-on that can slip off at an inappropriate time. Their vision should also be checked often and tack down any floor rugs that are in the home. Better yet, when possible, remove them!

Handrails are essential in preventing falls. Be sure that you have a railing on all the steps coming into the home and inside the house. Grab rails are also helpful around steps or other areas of difficulty. This can be most helpful in the bathroom. Install grab rails, so it is easier to get in and out of the bathtub and up and down on the toilet. You can also install toilet extenders or ensure that the toilet is high enough to ease getting on and off.

Falls in our seniors are no joke. Their aging bones and loss of muscle mass can take a beating during a fall.  Be sure that things are put up, and there isn’t clutter left for them to trip on after and during a visit.  Everyone must be mindful when visiting not to leave shoes and other items in the path of someone trying to get to the bathroom or walk around the home.  

Contact Senior Resource Connectors

Your roadmap when it comes to determining the best care plan for your senior loved one in Arizona – at any age or stage. Visit our resource center, view our business directory, or connect with us below.

If you have been tasked with caring for an elderly loved one, you know how difficult it can be to juggle work and family time. To take on this responsibility, many people worldwide have had to reduce their hours or quit their jobs entirely. Fortunately, some companies understand where they are coming from and have taken steps to help provide a solution for employees with eldercare support responsibilities. There are a variety of ways employers can offer eldercare benefits to their employees. We explore some of these below.

Employers are growing more aware of the need to provide eldercare support. This is because there is a need for caregivers. With the increasing population of seniors, employers will have no choice but to take responsibility.

When employees feel supported at work, they will be less likely to turn down opportunities for promotion or new assignments. Employers will also improve employee retention rates and reduce absenteeism by offering caregiver benefits like eldercare assistance programs (EAP) or eldercare referral services (ERS).

Eldercare Support in the Future

The United States Census Bureau predicted that by 2030, there would be a total of 24.6 million people who are 65 years old and older in the US, which is about 19% of the entire population in America. This change is particularly significant because it means that the senior population will have a more substantial impact on our social welfare programs and health care systems than ever before.

The majority of these seniors are living independently. However, many still need help with daily activities.  These activities include taking medication, cooking, getting dressed, bathing, and more from their children or nearby family members. Most seniors will depend on the help, and this help will put a strain on the workforce. These helpers will have to have flexible jobs.  This will allow workers to care for their loved ones and continue to get work done. This is piled on top of childcare and work, leaving little leisure time for the caregiver which can cause some burnout.

Care Needed for Elderly is Going to Explode

Caring for aging parents is going to become more of a problem.  This is because the baby boomers have started to enter this age bracket. It is not only going to put a strain on the children of that generation but the entire workforce as a whole. The baby boomer generation will be the largest elderly generation that this country has ever had to handle. Employers are bracing themselves as they know there simply aren’t enough options out there.  This is why they have come up with some beneficial solutions such as:

• They are offering accommodations under the Family and Medical Leave Act. This would allow the employee to take time off that they need and still get paid. This doesn’t always apply to have an extended period such as six weeks off. FMLA also allows employees to shorten their workday.
• Offering Support Groups is another option for employees. This would allow employees to meet up with others who have the same struggles and maybe learn coping ways.
• They are preparing incoming managers for the sensitivity around this subject. Companies across the nation will have to learn to be more flexible as more and more people struggle to find this balance.

Eldercare is never going away but only becoming more of an issue as the generations get larger.  However, it is nice to see that employers are proactive in incorporating this issue into their overall balance.

This week, we have the privilege of talking with Laura Wayman, The Dementia Whisperer.

Laura is not only a best-selling author but has also trained thousands of people from all walks of life on dementia and the most common misconceptions about it. She shares an example that really makes you think and appreciate those individuals, like her, who take the time to improve the lives of those with dementia.

If you require a trusted referral, sound advice, or a patient ear, Senior Resource Connectors is your go-to. We help aging Arizonans and their families navigate the many challenges of aging today.

Contact us in the following ways.

Call Us: (602) 698-9720

Visit Us Online: www.seniorresourceceonnectors.com

Our latest Webinar episode is now LIVE! Watch as our co-founder, Scott Fischer, chats with Crystal Littlejohn from Geriatric Resources. Crystal shares how adult children can keep Mom or Dad safely at home if a senior living community is not on the cards and sheds some much-needed light on what a Care Manager does and how this role helps families in crisis.

In our third episode of the Senior Resource Connectors podcast, Heidi Foglesong chats to Crystal Littlejohn, Geriatric Care Manager at Geriatric Resources, LLC. Crystal explains what a care manager does and how it benefits families who are worried about the health of their seniors. The pandemic has brought on a new wave of senior loneliness and isolation, which Crystal and her team of experts are combatting with one of their newest initiatives called Thoughtful Engagement. Listen now!