Ask The Doctor- Living Alone

Question:  I have a neighbor who is a widow and lives alone. Her family lives out of state; she is quite frail and has very limited finances.  I am worried about her falling and not being able to call for help. What can I do to help her?

Answer:  You are right to be concerned; falls are the leading cause of accidental death in persons over 65. More than 90% of all hip fractures occur as the result of a fall and 1 in 3 seniors living at home fall each year.  Risk factors for falls include increasing age, cognitive impairment and medication use.

     If at all possible your neighbor should see her doctor to have an evaluation done to assess her risk of falling and to take preventative measures. Numerous types of medications are associated with dizziness and falls, and any patient taking four or more medications is at increased risk of falling due to medication interactions. 

     I am excited to announce a new service that is available free of charge that will be of great help to your neighbor. Beginning July 13^th, Ramona Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice is sponsoring the HELP line. HELP is short for Healthy Elder Life Program, and the program will provide:

Toll Free Help Line:   answered by a licensed nurse offering information on many services available to seniors, including county programs, advance directives, finance, insurance & low-income resources, transportation and mobile healthcare services, and much more.  

Daily or Weekly Phone Calls: by a licensed nurse who will check in with elders by phone to ensure safety, or to remind them of physician or other appointments. This service is available by request of the senior or their family member.
Information resources:  for low-income seniors, located on our website or available at the toll free line, including how to navigate the often confusing healthcare delivery system.  

For more information go to  www.help4elders.info or call 888-98ELDER (1-888-983-5337).

     

If you would like to submit a question please contact Jennifer Trebler at jtrebler@ramonavna.org.

ASK THE DOCTOR - Pneumonia Vaccine

My doctor told me that I should get a pneumonia shot, what is that and is it the same as the flu shot?

Viral pneumonia is a serious complication of Influenza (the flu). Taking the flu shot each season will help protect you from the most common flu strains for that year.

The adult pneumonia shot, Pneumovax, is different from the flu shot. It protects against 23 strains of pneumococcal bacteria. These bacteria commonly cause pneumonia, which can be life threatening in older adults. The bacteria can also cause serious infections in the blood, spinal cord and brain which life are threatening as well.
The vaccine does not prevent every type of pneumonia, but it's very effective at protecting people from these more dangerous pneumococcal diseases. The pneumococcal vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective at preventing illness for up to 10 years. Side effects include pain or redness at the injection site, fever and muscle aches. A booster is recommended after 10 years.
The shot is covered by Medicare and recommended for all patients over 65. The vaccine protects against 88 percent of the pneumococcal bacteria that cause pneumonia. No shot can protect you against all types of pneumonias but pneumococcal pneumonias are the leading cause of vaccine preventable deaths in the US. Just think - here is a great New Year’s resolution that Uncle Sam will even pick up the tab for.

If you would like to submit a question please contact Jennifer Trebler at jtrebler@ramonavna.org.