Tips for Healthy Aging and Independent Living

In a study conducted by Kristen De San Miguel and Gill Lewin (2008) "Clients reported positive impacts in terms of: gaining faster assistance in an emergency, extending the time they are able to remain living at home, increasing their sense of security, reducing anxiety about falling and increasing confidence in performing everyday activities". This study surveyed 2610 users of the Silver Chain CareLink Personal Alarm Service.

A lot of carers and care workers feel stressed/anxious because they're constantly concerned that someone they're looking after may fall while they're not present. Therefore, some consider bed rails to reduce the risk. While bed rails might work for some people it can increase risk for others. For example, people with dementia who are at risk of wondering may attempt to climb over bed rails. It can also lead to anxiety and agitation, as they may feel trapped. Depending on the individual cases one option could be to lower the bed. Stand-alone bed occupancy sensors can also be an option. It will alert the carers through a pager whenever the person they're looking after leaves the bed. This simple and cost effective device can enhance the safety of the loved ones while reducing carers' anxiety. We do install and provide stand-alone bed occupancy sensors to both individuals and care agencies. So please give us a call if you need to know more about them or order one.
Note: there is no ongoing cost associated with stand-alone bed sensors.

Thames Valley Police is now using 101, the new national single non-emergency number which went live on 14 November 2011. This replaces the 0845 8 505 505 number. Both numbers will run side by side until the end of March 2012.

Calls to 101 (from both landlines and mobile networks) cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day the call is made, or the duration of the call. The routing will be based on the same system as 999 calls. If a caller is using a landline, the routing will be based on the caller's postcode and the call will be directed to the police force for that area. If a caller is using a mobile, the call will route using the mast that the phone is transmitting from.

For a group of 100 older women (aged 65+) attending a day hospital in Ireland, wearing their own footwear was associated with significantly improved balance compared to being barefoot. The greatest benefit of footwear was seen in people with the poorest balance. The authors recommend that older individuals at risk of falls do not go barefoot when walking.

If someone has a personal pendant alarm it is advisable to wear it at all times provided it is water-resistant. It is also important to consider the risks associated with wearing a pendant around the neck when the person goes to bed. Moreover, self-activating devices such as bed sensors and fall detectors can help depending on individual circumstances. GPs are well-placed to give advice on fall prevention strategies and local preventative programmes.