Archive for July, 2009
Did you know that falls are the leading cause of injury and disability among the elderly? One in three American adults age 65 or older falls every year, resulting in countless injuries and an estimated 9,500 deaths. Sadly, falling often leads to permanent loss of independent functioning and a need for longterm nursing care. So it makes very good sense to invest in fall prevention in and around the homes of your senior loved ones.
One of the first things we do with new clients at Good Company Senior Care is a thorough home assessment to identify potential safety hazards: View our detailed Fall Prevention Checklist here.
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Have you ever noticed how many people (including medical professionals) talk down to seniors, using a kind of baby talk? Sing-song voices and simple words and a cutesy tone, calling them ‘dear’ or ‘sweetie’? Sara Myers wrote about this recently on her insightful blog, “A Good Enough Daughter,” over at silverplanet.com. She wrote, “It’s called elderspeak—and it is more than annoying. It’s downright skin crawling….why would someone to talk to another person like that? Ageism is one reason.”
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