The Benefits of Aging in Place
Many Americans struggle with the ability to care for themselves as they age. As a consequence, they often find themselves being forced out of their homes and into long-term care living facilities, where they are quickly turned into “Patients” and relinquish their ability to develop and grow.
According to Patrick Roden PHD who writes about aging issues online, “One aspect of this paradigm is infantilizing older people and turning them into “patients” to be subject to over-protection.”
Roden adds that as elderly Americans retire and begin to live out the next half of their lives, the often are viewed by the medical community as having the capacity to deal with the risk of being on their own and, perhaps more importantly, they are denied the benefits of living at home where they are happiest in order to mitigate those risks.
“The unstated here is that the end of the lifecycle is not worth risking for potential upside benefits. Thomas makes the point that in no other part of the life-cycle is risk aversion allowed,” Roden says.
Aging in place is risky, says Roden. The elderly who choose to remain in their homes face a long list of demands that their older bodies may not be able to handle and that may put them at “risk” for injury or illness. This includes yard work, house work, gardening, cooking for themselves and other demands, which he calls Environmental Press (EP) or “forces in the environment that together with individual need evoke a response,” which often result in physical challenges as well as mental ones.
But Roden argues that instead of weighing the risks against the benefits of aging in place that we reverse the philosophy and filter our opinions about elderly folks and living at home through a new paradigm. And he begins his argument with the topic of ergonomics, or “the science of creating the best fit possible between people and their surroundings.”
“Developed in production-based work as a way to reduce injuries, improve job productivity and increase employee satisfaction, ergonomics has since grown into other industries, including home care. Despite being long removed from the factory floor, the goal of home ergonomics remains true to its roots: adapt the environment to fit the individual.”
Given the challenges of aging or living with a disability, the vast majority of patients still wish to remain living at home. The problem is that many homes, once places of comfortable living, become source of obstacles. Few homes are built with consideration of the changing needs associated with aging or living with a disability. To meet these challenges, adaptations to the home are often needed.
These adaptations do not have to suck up the life savings of a person. In fact, they can and should be more economical than a long-term care facility. He recommends, among other adaptations:
· Installing grab bars, slip mats, inflatable seats and other products in the bathtub and bathroom to prevent falling and injury.
· Checking to make sure that, when seating on the toilet, that the person’s knees are at the right height and whether it is necessary for someone to push themselves off the toilet with anything to grab onto. He suggests installing elevated toilet seats, putting a frame over the toilet or changing the entire toilet to a larger bowl.
· Checking to ensure that there are steps or stairs to get into and out of the home that are secured with adequate handrails; if ramps are needed and if the ramp and handrail are ADA approved.
· Remove storm doors and others that are hard to open and replace them with new doors and automatic door openers with lever handles and remote door locks.
· Place a footstool with a handle at the side of the bed for those who have trouble getting in and out of the bed. Consider adding a rail or bed cane to provide extra support.
· Check that all chairs are at the right height so that the individuals hips are not higher than their knees, which can make it difficult to get up and down without handrails or grab bars. If the seat is too low, consider adding furniture risers.
In short, if you can put a series of home ergonomics plans into action to make the home more safe and comfortable for the individual, they are more likely to be able to mitigate many of those risks of falling. And, best of all, if they are able to remain in their homes they are very likely to stay healthier longer and be happier in the process.
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