Tools to Help your Parents to Age in Place Aging in place is a new approach to eldercare. It allows the elderly to remain in their own homes as they age, rather than having to be moved to a nursing home or assisted living facility. To enable aging in place, there are many tools on the market that make it possible for your aging parent to remain independent and self-reliant. The tools assist your parent by making up for deficiencies they may have. Hearing Tools Most aging parents suffer from some kind of hearing loss, whether it is minor or profound. To enable them to age in place and adapt to challenges with hearing, there is everything from a vibrating watch that reminds them when to take medications to hearing devices that amplify sound to visual and vibrating alerts for the telephone and fire alarm. Vision Tools Even if your parent does not suffer from a disabling condition like macular degeneration, deteriorating eye sight is another struggle most seniors experience that can cause them to lose some of their independence. When…
Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is the weakening of bones and occurs in one quarter of all women, and one eighth of all men. Although the rate of osteoporosis is much higher among women, it is certainly not just a woman’s illness. Increasing numbers of men are affected by osteoporosis. Sadly, it is often a fractured bone that alerts someone to the fact that they have osteoporosis. Low trauma fractures—fractures that occur from a standing height or less—are sometimes the only warning sign evident to someone about their bone health. Fractures can cause dire consequences, especially in seniors. One year after a hip fracture, 80% of patients cannot perform at least one activity of daily living, 40% cannot walk independently, 30% are permanently disabled, and 20% have died. While a hip fracture does not cause death directly, it can be the result of underlying frailty, and it is usually other health factors which lead to death. Sustaining good bone health is an important way to prevent a low trauma fracture.…