Menu Close

Aging-in-Place Newsletter #9

Shopping carts aren’t just for groceries any more

1. The first shopping cart was invented in 1937 for the sole purpose of encouraging shoppers to buy more. But in recent years, an ancillary purpose has been to assist people with mobility and stability issues, which also can contribute to shoppers buying more. Handicapped parking spaces became federal law in 1990. Unfortunately, too often those cart corrals are quite a distance away. So I thought it would be helpful if one spot per grocery store parking lot could include a space where a shopper could leave their cart and the next shopper could pick one up. Unfortunately, the ADA does not allow for carts to be stored in the zone next to the parking space that is reserved for loading and unloading wheelchairs. I’ve long noticed that some people leave their carts in that zone although I’ve only seen them leave plenty of room for the van with a wheelchair lift. But apparently, store management requires all carts to be brought back to the stores. I’ve read that people that use carts for stability and mobility, tend to use the smaller carts which take up even less space in the areas designated for wheelchairs. It seems like there should be some compromise that would allow for at least one handicapped parking area to be used for leaving a small shopping cart for people that need it for mobility and/or stability. Let me know if you have experienced this.

What some lower-income countries provide for long-term care. Hint: Not surprisingly, the focus is on in-home services

2. I also write a newsletter called Policies without Borders on Substack about what other countries are doing that we might consider here. Last month was about long-term care. Some countries I looked at were Kenya, Brazil, Rwanda, Vietnam, India, and Thailand.

The key element is that these countries don’t have the money for traditional nursing homes that are common in the US. Most elders stay at home, but are served by trained community health care workers who make regular visits. They treat the household, not just the elderly individual.

Elders are protected by collective obligation of the entire community. Community responsibility is embedded in local governance. It is hard to see how these practices could replace nursing homes in America. But it does seem like some of these practices could delay people having to rely only on institutional care.

Here’s the full article on Substack.

The Ice is a menace this year. You can prevent falling on it.

3. This is the worst ice I can ever remember. While most everyone applies salt, I have long preferred sand. While salt does melt ice faster, sand provides instant traction. But if you do fall on ice, it’s like falling on concrete. One thing I’ve learned is that when there is ice, don’t take shortcuts. I did the other day, and all of a sudden, I was losing it, arms flailing around but miraculously I stayed upright. My first thought was “maybe those daily balance exercises I’ve done helped me avoid falling.”  And the same as inside your house, falls are more likely in low light conditions. And there does seem to be some evidence that certain exercises can reduce fall risk.

Here’s an article from Johns Hopkins about exercises that can help reduce fall risk.

Why is it the older you get the harder it is to get to sleep and stay asleep and what can you do about it?

4. There’s no single reason or cure. I once tried OTC meds, but they made it worse. One thing that has helped me is to listen to the same boring audio CD. Something that helps distract from things that will keep you up. I’ve also noticed when I’ve had a good day and look forward to getting up in the morning, that helps. The later I go to bed, usually the quicker I get to sleep. It’s really important to your overall health so it’s worth checking out.

Here’s one source from AARP. There’s many more.

Tools to Support Activities of Daily Living: Helping Seniors Stay Independent

5. For many people, as they age, the “little things” like buttoning a shirt, grabbing a jar from the pantry or remembering a morning pill, start to feel like major hurdles. However, aging in place doesn’t have to be a struggle, as there are a wide variety of products specifically made to help with daily tasks. There are many types of tools to help you simplify the activities of daily living, including helping you take medication on time, navigate the kitchen, move around and reach items.

Examples of adaptive equipment include:

  • Medication management tools
  • Mobility aids
  • Reacher/grabber tools
  • Cooking and eating tools
  • Personal hygiene solutions
  • Dressing and clothing help

Full article here.

Designing homes for multigenerational living

6. When multiple generations share space, it can mean more than cost savings. The connection, support, shared care and responsibilities can knit families together across the year – and more homeowners are building with that in mind. One of the first things that families have to think about is how much time do they want to spend together versus having some separation? There is the concept of in-law suites that are part of the home. This could technically be called an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) that’s inside the footprint of the home. You have some that are only accessible from inside of the house, so when grandma or grandpa come out of their space, they’re in the rest of the family space. You have versions of that where it’s attached to the house, but there’s a separate entrance.
 
Some units are completely detached but on the same property, allowing for close contact but separate homes. Everybody has to determine what level of independence they want to have between the multiple generations that are living on the same property or the same house. And that may change over time, so have some flexibility with how you create that and how you design it.

Full article here.