Since I’ve started writing this newsletter, I’ve noticed how many people use canes and walkers
1. I’ve looked at the cane display at Wal-Mart and wondered how many people buy one without instructions. From what I’ve read, it’s quite a lot. I asked the Walmart pharmacist if they provide any instructions for people buying canes. Told “no”. Maybe there’s a sheet that comes with the cane, but that’s not the same as personal instruction.
On a related matter, when I helped one elderly person shop, we’d park in the handicapped spot and I’d take his arm until we got to the shopping cart, which he used as an assistive device and could get around safely. But later, I noticed that the carousel where you return the cart is pretty far away from the handicapped parking spaces. And the motorized shopping carts are always near the front of the store, and it’s not clear to me how they get from their car to the front of the store and back. I also suspect that a lot of people with mobility difficulties struggle shopping and getting their groceries to their car, but don’t use a wheelchair and would prefer to park right next to the carousels. But often there are cars parked there already.
And this was surprising. UK study finds women less likely than men to use mobility aids.
The life expectancy gap between men and women should get more attention from public health officials
2. A century ago, there were less than two years between men’s and women’s life expectancies in the United States. Today, that gender gap has almost tripled, with men dying 5.3 years earlier than women in 2023. Yet despite the disparity, there’s no focused public health campaign to address men’s early deaths or much conversation about why this is happening.
Men’s shorter life expectancy is widely accepted as the norm even though, as historical data show, this large gap is far from a given. “There’s nothing inevitable or inexorable about the lifespan gender gap, it rises and falls based on public policy decisions,” said Ronald Henry, president of the Men’s Health Network, a nonprofit.
Read about this here from Stat News.
Another reason to age in place. Senior housing can have long wait lists in some areas.
3. By 2030, one in four Minnesotans will be 65 or older. Ashlee Mueller is the director of Friendship Village of Bloomington.
“When folks come in and they say, Oh, I’m two to five years out frMueller. Read more here.
and
When to Get On the Wait List at a Retirement Community
Based on availability and the waitlist we’re seeing right now all over the state, it’s more like five to ten.”
Ideally, one should not wait until the day they need to move to begin planning. If for no other reason this can be problematic because there could be a waitlist for the facility you like best. Read more here.
Word Recall Exercises to Help with Memory
4. Several years ago, I was continually frustrated with being unable to recall simple words or names (granted there’s a lot), so I started writing them down on a list and taped them to the wall above my computer. Often, when I got stuck, I’d stand up to look at my list (which soon got pretty long and I had to make a second one). And often, the word or name was there. Sometimes I can Google a related word and come up with the word I was seeking.
I’ve always believed that part of what caused memory loss is that there’s simply more to remember the older we get. But it can be frustrating. But I think there are ways to lessen the frustration and exercises you can do to help. Here’s a few here.
Mortality rate for falls among older adults in the US has more than tripled during the past 30 years
5. In contrast, death rates due to falls decreased during the past 30 years in other high-income countries. Older adults have always been at risk for falls. A fall injury results from a confluence of intrinsic and extrinsic risks. In addition to older age, risk factors for fall injuries include physical impairment (such as muscle weakness, balance problems, or difficulty walking), vision problems, cognitive impairment, use of alcohol or drugs, living alone, and a home with objects that can be tripped over. These falls don’t usually result in immediate death but can lead to a major head injury or a hip fracture that starts a downward spiral.
More here from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Can family caregivers get paid through Medicaid?
6. About 1 in 4 Americans serves as a family caregiver. That’s about 63 million people, with family caregivers spending an average of 4 hours each day helping their older loved ones.
GoodRx, a platform for medication savings, outlines how you can get paid to care for a family member through Medicaid. These programs go by different names depending on where you live, and rules and pay rates vary by state. Pay rates range from $16-$26/hour.
Read more here.
Personal trainer says one of the best things you can do to improve your balance is to add variety to your walks
7. Personal trainer Baltazar Villanueva of Denver, CO, says that while all movement is good movement and this type of walking—called ambient walking—carries plenty of benefits, there’s a simple way to get more out of walking. Villanueva says that walking uphill on trails is a great way to increase the challenge without carrying extra weight or speeding up to a jog, and it can help develop your balance, too.
It doesn’t have to be a particularly steep hill, but it gently increases the intensity of your walk without ramping up other factors like distance. Walking on different terrain also supports balance and stability. Walking on uneven ground helps your body to practice the mechanics of balance, and helps to improve your reactions and stability. See article here.
Don’t assume your child will be your caregiver as you age, expert warns
8. As more Canadians approach retirement age, an expert says it’s important for people to have realistic conversations about where they will live and who will take care of them in their old age, as those decisions are more complicated than they may appear. 96% of Canadians want to age in place, so that involves (figuring out) what’s needed in the home to make it safe, what home modifications, what’s your budget and what happens if you need in-home care.
“Don’t wait until the need arises because then you’re in crisis mode,” said White. “When we look at how we’re budgeting for this, I think there has to be a real step back to have realistic conversations with those who we believe are going to be part of our plan, just because we can’t keep making this assumption that our kids want to or can take care of us.
See article here.
Ironically……..
It was in the office of the building inspector yesterday. It had been raining earlier and my shoes were a little wet and after taking a few steps into the office, I had a slip that could have easily resulted in a fall. Since I’ve been working in the aging in place space, it made more than a casual impression on me. The linoleum floor was extremely slippery when wet. So if you are going to have smooth linoleum floors or another smooth flooring in your home, especially near exterior doors, be sure to have some kind of absorbent rug to dry those wet shoes off on to help avoid a fall.
Next month — I hope to have an update on the delivery portal project.