(Snippets from the frontline)
Remaining in your comfort zone
Home is your comfort zone. Most elder seniors fear they will be forced to leave and move into a facility like a nursing home.
Factors that might precipitate this move:
- falls
- decreased mobility or memory
- poor nutrition
- taking medicines incorrectly
- poor hygiene or unkempt home
- isolation from friends and family
- stairs
- inability to care for finances
- unaffordable rent, mortgage, or property tax
We as a nation must find creative ways to maintain seniors in their homes. Ultimately, it could decrease the cost of healthcare.
Looking at the above list, some solutions might be:
-build single story senior friendly compatible homes; no steps, and ramp adaptable;
-wide halls and doorways for wheelchairs, and padded floors;
-medication dispensers monitored from afar and filled weekly;
-nutritious meals delivered and refrigerated for later microwave use;
-robots;
-computers to monitor movement, medicines, sleep, exercise, oral intake and hydration; and for interaction and communication;
-communal living to save on costs;
-government break on taxes at a certain age and income;
Add your ideas.
Staying in one’s home will ease many discomforts of getting old, especially the psychologic and emotional fear of moving out of one’s comfort zone.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
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