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.