A virtual home safety visit is an easy way to tap into the knowledge of an experienced caregiver.

All you need is a smartphone with camera. The home caregiver prepares the client about what to expect in advance. It’s simply the client moving about their home environment in their usual manner. The difference is they are being observed and recorded while doing so.

Here’s a story.

A friend of a friend had a fall at home during the nighttime. She wasn’t hurt but was fearful of what that fall means for her independence.

JB is an 88 year old woman who has chronic back pain. This cognitively intact woman lives alone in a suburban home. She is committed to Aging in Place but was upset by the fall. She agreed to be videotaped as a favor to our mutual friend.

 

What’s going well for JB

The home is well maintained and organized.  There are several walkers in the home though she prefers to use a cane.

She has difficulty standing up from her favorite chair because it’s too low. She has difficulty getting in and out of her car, which is also low.

She drives one or two times per week for errands and appointments, but only in daylight and good weather conditions. She does not use a mobile phone.

JB had a successful career and lives alone. She is proud of her independence and her beautiful home. She loves colorful summer flowers on the back deck, though keeping them watered in hot weather is difficult. 

She doesn’t like the look of safety equipment in her bathroom. 

Click on the video below to see JB move from her bathroom to her bedroom, where she recently fell out of bed.

 

JB Received Recommendations for Home Safety

As a result of the Home Safety Visit JB was advised to park the vehicle in a different location in the garage allowing easier access to the driver’s seat.

A HandyBar to get in and out of the low car was offered. 

The garage should have added shelving and hooks near the stairs to enter the house. That keeps keeps items at waist level for easy finding and reaching and off the stairs. 

A method for raising her favorite chair to a higher position was discussed. She hated the ideas.

A rollator walker with four wheels was recommended to replace the cane. The rollator walker would help back pain. It moves more quickly than a two wheeled walker and household items can be easily transported on it. It was explained that using a single point cane contributed to asymmetrical posture and back pain. JB hated the idea of a walker and would not agree to use one.

The Bathroom

Statistically, bathrooms and stairs are where most falls occur at home. For JB to Age in Place, she needed to seriously consider adding a grab bar to her shower, as well as a bath seat. She already had a non skid bath mat.

She should consider adding a storage type bed rail to the side of the bed where she sleeps. Her cordless phone should be moved to that side also. If she opened a drawer on the bedside table the phone could rest there at night.

Outside

Because she enjoys keeping summer flowers and wants to age in place JB placed flower pots on a raised bench. She should find an alternative to carrying heavy buckets of water from the kitchen to the back deck.

An extension to the water hose, that allows access at the deck was recommended. A small sprinkler on a timer was found online.

She refused all those suggestions because “I don’t want to look like an old lady!” Pride was interfering with her ability to successfully Age in Place.

 

Home Services Were Recommended

    1. A homemaker to bring laundry to and from the basement was recommended to avoid carrying on stairs
    2.  
    3. Food delivery from a local market was found to be available and doesn’t require use of a smartphone.
    4.  
    5. The local pharmacy offers prescription delivery at no extra charge.
    6.  
    7. GoGo Grandparent (gogograndparent.com) is a personalized ride service that does not require a smartphone to use. They pair you with a “professional grandchild”/case manager to personally manage your transportation needs. 
    8.  
    9.  

Home based services will allow JB to Age in Place. She won’t be tempted to drive in poor weather or if she’s not feeling well, if delivery services are setup.

She agreed to post a list of frequently used phone numbers near each phone.

She will put a spare key near the garage door and tell a neighbor about it. 

 

Aging in Place~a Risk:RewardCalculation

Aging in Place means adapting your current home PROACTIVELY for maximum safety and independence in the future.

There are tradeoffs to be made in most circumstances that require foresight and insight.

JB did not have foresight.  She vowed to be “more careful from now on”.

The tradeoffs should be regarded from a risk : reward point of view.

What if adding a grab bar and shower seat (risk-it doesn’t look good)makes enough of a difference to prevent a fall, fracture, hospitalization and tremendous stress (reward-continued independence at home, less anxiety)?

Bathrooms and stairways are where home accidents typically happen. This stairway would benefit from the addition of shelving and hooks to clear the steps and make items easier to reach
"I'm awkward about doing things like this". An extension to the hose was recommended with an on/off switch on the nozzle
The hose is down a flight of steps (with a too short) railing, to be useful for watering the summer flowers.An extension to the hose with a hand held on/off switch was proposed