(Snippets from the frontline)
Aging in Place
I care for a married couple named Fred and Wilma, and they tell me we live in the Stone Age. They are hopeful society will raise the mantra of “Aging in Place”, as they do not want to live in a nursing home.
With advancing technology, the broad horizon of healthcare professionals including doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants must provide house calls.
Innovation and creativity can harness robots to be caregivers, autonomous vehicles to keep us independent, home monitoring devices for communications, exoskeletons to enhance mobility, robotic Hoya lifts to get us out of bed, and eye-control computers assisting activities of daily living.
A priority should be to build “age friendly homes” that are single story, ramp adaptable, with wider doors and hallways, night floor lighting, gym-like floor padding breaking falls, safety grab bars throughout, and roll-in showers for bathing.
At home, we should have dental, vision, and hearing care, and even do lab tests, x-rays, EKGs, and ultrasounds.
For Fred and Wilma, focusing on Aging in Place might take us out of the Stone Age.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
At first this sounds cold and sterile. But with a little thought I can see how this can really be of great help. I’m friends with a lady that has Parkinson’s. Her body is giving out way before her mind. It’s very difficult to get her to all her doctor appointments. She is also battling cancer for the 3 time. So let’s get it going!
Linda