HEALTH ANDWELL BEING OF SENIORS AT HOME

A Six Week Course for Seniors Covering

Safety, Medications, Fitness

Community Resources to Stay Safely at Home

Elizabeth Tepper RN CEN

GOALS OF PROGRAM

To teach the senior population living in their homes necessary information and skills to promote a safe environment and maintain their health and quality of life• Fall prevention• Fire safety• Security• Food safety/hand

washing/infection prevention• Access to care/transportation• Medication safety

geaugahousingservices.org 

PROFILE OF OLDER AMERICANS

• 41.4 million persons over 65

• Represent 13.3% of population

• Over 1 in 8 is over 65

• 75-85 age group is 12.8 million

• 85 + group is 5 million

3 Million Persons Celebrated their 65th Birthday in 2011

www.visualphotos.com (Administration on Aging

website, n.d.)

SENIOR HEALTH IS BETTER IN A FAMILIAR PLACE

There’s No Place Like Home• More comfortable and

secure in a familiar place

• Care in the home is more cost-effective

• Maintain freedom/independence

• Comfortable with routine

• Surrounded by memories

• Maintain dignity

bostinno.streetwise.co 

,

("No Place Like Home," 2013)

POTENTIAL RISKS TO STAYING HOME

• Falls

• Fire/emergency/evacuation

• Robbery/scammers/ finances

• Isolation

• Poor nutrition

• Medication issues and errors

• Transportation/difficulty accessing resources www.disorderlystitches.com 

(Healthy people 2020 website. (n.d.)

FALLS

• 1 out of 3 adults over 65 falls each year

• Leading cause of injuries

• 2.3 million falls in ED in 2010

• Cost of falls $30 billion in 2010

• Injury from falls cause loss of independence

• Falling leads to fear and reduced mobility

Falls are preventable

www.comforcareblog.com 

(Falls among older adults: An overview. (n.d.).

FIRE/EMERGENCY/ACCESS TO CARETRANSPORTATION

• Over age 65, risk of death/injury from fire is doubled

• Difficulty accessing care, due to loss of ability to drive safely

• Lack of plan for emergencies

• Lack of coordination of carewww.seniorlivingrockies.com 

(National fire protection association website, 2013)

ROBBERY/SCAMS/FINANCES

• At risk for scammers

• Robberies

• Money management issues

• Insurance medical coverage issues

Don’t be a Victim

seniorassistedliving.wordpress.com -

MEDICATION MISMANAGEMENT

#1 cause of nursing home placement

28% of all hospitalizations are drug related and 11% for noncompliance

Older adult have increased risk of adverse reactions, due to multiple meds, comorbidities

www.familyfirstseniorcare.com (Marek KD, Antle L. 2008)

AUDIENCE/VENUE

• Audience: Over Fifty Club- seniors living independently, married, widows, and widowers

• 6 week program held weekly

• Each session will be 30-45 minutes integrated into weekly meeting

• West Chester Area Senior Center530 East Union Street, West Chester, PA 19382

West Chester Area Senior Center

IMPLEMENTATION/TEACHING STRATEGIES

• Lecture

• Discussion

• Visual aids/videos

• Games/quizzes

• Brochures/handouts

• Guest speaker: Chester County Fire Department

www.craigiebaptist.org.au

PROMOTION

Announcement on West Chester Area Senior center’s website & Facebook Page

Advertisement on Senior Center’s In-House Multi-Media Visual Display

Brochures in local primary care offices, program available to all seniors (participants do not need to be a member of club to attend)

OVERVIEW/LESSON PLAN

Week 1: Safety- in the home, tripping hazards, handrails, dangers, security, driving safety, correct use of cane or walker, proper lighting

Week 2: Diet and nutrition-easy healthy meal preparation ,meals on wheels, safety in kitchen, hand washing, infection prevention

Week 3: Medications- storage, dosing, timing ,food reactions, medication management chart handout

Week 4: Exercise and mobility- importance of exercise, ROM, demonstration, correct body mechanics

Week 5: Emergencies- signs & symptoms to seek medical care vs 911, important numbers to have a handy, guest speaker from fire company, establish escape plan in emergency

Week 6: Community resources, senior programs in county, senior transportation, brochures from chamber of commerce, government and community programs such as PACE

EXPECTED OUTCOME/EVALUATION

• Participants will:• become aware of issues that can

affect their quality of life

• state major risks

• state methods and solutions for prevention

• Ongoing evaluation determined by level of engagement and participation

• Survey distributed to all participants

bulgingbuttons.wordpress.com 

REFERENCES

Falls among older adults: An overview. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfall.html

For senior citizens, there’s no place like home. (2013, September). Case Management Advisor,

24(9), 97-98.

Healthy people 2020 website. (n.d.). http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=31

Marek KD, Antle L. Medication Management of the Community-Dwelling Older Adult. In: Hughes RG, editor. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008 Apr. Chapter 18. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2670/

National fire protection association website. (2013). http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/populations/older-adults