By: Jennifer Beach, LSW, MA, C-SWCM
If you want to help keep yourself and/or your loved one out of a nursing home, you must understand the risks and facts concerning when and why older adults get placed in a long term care facility.
There are primarily 3 reasons:
- A fall that causes injury results in the inability of an older adult to care for themselves.
A few alarming stats…
- The CDC reports one in four Americans aged 65+ fall each year
- Every 18 seconds, an elderly person goes to the ER due to a fall
- Falls are the main cause of serious injury and accidental death among the elderly
- Older adults taking four or more medications are at a higher risk of falling
- The risk for falls increases with age
- 76% of individuals living in a long-term care facility (often called a nursing home) are there because of a fall. Most of these falls are related to problems with medications.
- Deconditioning that happens in the hospital or at the rehabilitation facility (known as skilled nursing facility) indicates the need for 24-hour care:
- When an older person is in a hospital and/or rehab setting, they are greater risk for confusion, infection and loss of muscle tone.
- For every day an older adult lays in a hospital bed, it takes five to seven days to regain their pre-hospital function and many never quite return to their pre-hospital baseline. With each event (fall/hospitalization), an individual is at a greater risk for not regaining their pre-event functioning level. Something is lost every time.
- There is no available or able caregiver for a variety of reasons (including costs), once the need for 24-hour care has been established:
- If an individual needs assistance/support 24 hours a day and there is no one available to be in the home around the clock and/or the individual does not have the resources to pay for support around the clock, a long-term care facility (nursing home) is then utilized.
There are steps we can take to help decrease our loved one’s chances of going to the hospital, followed by rehabilitation at a facility (known as a skilled nursing facility) and often resulting in permanent placement in long term care (known as a nursing home).
- How many medications is your loved one taking?
Are you, your mom, or spouse taking more than one medication to help manage a chronic condition such as arthritis, high blood pressure or diabetes? Is your dad taking prescription and non-prescription medications, plus supplements? A healthcare professional should review medications and supplements regularly, identifying any interactions that could cause side effects such as dizziness or drowsiness that could lead to a fall.
- Does your loved one wear glasses?
When was the last time you or your loved one had an eye exam? An outdated vision prescription can lead to a fall. As we get older, it’s important to make sure we/they are having regular eye exams and wearing the correct prescribed lenses. Our eyes continue to change as we age. Vision along with lighting greatly affects balance and our spatial awareness.
- Does the volume on the TV keep going up?
While hearing might not seem related to balance, even mild hearing loss can triple the risk of a fall! When people can’t hear well, they may not have a good awareness of their surroundings, which can increase the likelihood of trips and falls.
- Slippers matter
House slippers and sandals may be easier for older adults to put on and take off, but if you or your loved one is frequently wearing slip-on shoes, ensuring appropriate footwear will greatly lower the chance of a fall.
- Has your loved one’s hygiene changed?
It can be a sensitive subject, but if you’ve noticed that your loved one isn’t taking care of themselves like they used to, it may be because they’re struggling to accomplish their daily tasks due to mobility issues.
In summary, these are simple but significant things to consider in order to reduce the chances of falling and going to the hospital followed by a stay at a rehabilitation facility, often resulting in the need for long term care facility (nursing home). I know we have heard these things before, but considering this important data and outcomes, it is well worth investing in these simple, preventative steps to reduce our chances of a fall in the future.
Original Article: https://www.northeastohioboomer.com/blogs/want-to-avoid-the-nursing-home/