Senior Moments from H.O.M.E.

This weekend's cool weather reminds us that fall is just around the corner.

Along with pumpkin spiced lattes, crisp air, and changing leaves, September also brings us Falls Prevention Month. The National Council on Aging (NCOA), declares September 22, 2018 - the first day of fall - National Falls Prevention Awareness Day.

Topics: safety, Upkeep and Repair, fall prevention, aging in community, Resources and tips for seniors

Today's guest blogger is Monica Dillon who is the director of the Loyola University Community Nursing Center*. Through the program, student nurses are connected with senior residents who live in our Intergenerational Housing program. She is sharing tips that were taught to seniors at Nathalie Salmon House as part of an evidence based program to help prevent falls.

Topics: intergenerational housing, community partners, safety, fall prevention, Resources and tips for seniors

"You can’t regain muscle strength and flexibility."

"Falling is something normal that happens as you get older."

"I don't need to talk to my parent, spouse, or other older adult if I’m concerned about their risk of falling."

"It will hurt their feelings, and it's none of my business."

If you thought there was truth to any of the above statements, you may need to re-think how important balance is.

Topics: fall prevention, aging in community, Good Life Senior Residences, Resources and tips for seniors

September is Falls Prevention Month. The National Council on Aging (NCOA), with a healthy dose of punny-ness, declares September 22, 2017 - the first day of fall - National Falls Prevention Awareness Day.

All puns aside, falling is a serious subject that impacts older adults. NCOA shares some great information about the risk of falling and how to prevent it. Here are four things to know about falling.

Topics: fall prevention, senior health, Resources and tips for seniors

As Efty pointed out recently on our blog, sometimes thinking about aging can be daunting, particularly for young adults. There are a lot of ideas about aging that we sometimes get wrong, and that can make getting older or caring for an older adult scary. Having information can help.  

Here are 5 things about aging that you may not know:

Topics: senior independence, fall prevention, aging in community, ageism, senior isolation

You may or may not know that September is Fall Prevention Month. And, September 22nd of each year, the first day of autumn, is National Fall Prevention Awareness Day. 

No, we aren't talking about trying our very best to hold onto the last remaining days of summer--the long days, warm weather, and barbecues are nearly gone.

We aren't even talking about attempting to stop the overabundance of pumpkin spice in our lives. (We've long embraced pumpkins and pumpkin carving, but number 12 on this list really tells us things have gone too far.)

We are talking about raising awareness of the risk of falls for older adults, and what we can do to reduce that risk.

Topics: safety, Upkeep and Repair, fall prevention, Resources and tips for seniors

Chicagoans will tell just about anyone from anywhere that we have the coldest winters in the world. And while someone from Fargo may have a valid argument otherwise, we can all agree that yes, Chicago winters are cold.

Topics: senior independence, food security, safety, fall prevention, Giving Tuesday, impact, aging in community

May is Older Americans Month. The theme of this year’s celebration of older adults is “Get into the Act.” Throughout the month we are highlighting activities and personal stories from our Intergenerational Housing program and how it helps seniors stay active in their own lives and in the community.

Topics: intergenerational housing, fall prevention

As we continue to observe Older Americans Month and its theme, ‘Safe Today. Healthy Tomorrow.’, the focus in this final week of May is on myths about falls. As reported in 2010 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized. The direct medical costs of falls were $30 billion. That makes senior safety a big issue.

Topics: community, food security, Older Americans Month, safety, Upkeep and Repair, fall prevention, Resources and tips for seniors

In honor of Older Americans Month, and the theme Safe Today, Happy Tomorrow, the National Coalition on Aging is providing tips to make sure that seniors stay safe.

Topics: Older Americans Month, safety, Upkeep and Repair, fall prevention, Resources and tips for seniors