Every day we read headlines in the newspaper about how the health system is falling to bits and the care services for older people are bursting at the pyjama seams.
So what is it we can do?
Age UK delivered a report titled Care in Crisis. That’s not very positive whether it is read frontwards, backwards or hanging upside down.
The budgets are being slashed across the board and people are rightly concerned about what the future holds for older people, given the number of over-65’s is set to swell from 10.5m to 16.5m in the next 20 years.
So what is it we can do?
What can we, the person on the street, do to help ourselves and our families live a longer, healthier and more enjoyable life in the face of such dire social and economic predictions?
Take Action for Ageing!
– 297 tips to help you with the health, safety and wellbeing of your ageing loved ones.
This is not a dreary ‘How-To’ book that puts you to sleep.
This is a <strong>365 page ‘Can-Do’ book</strong> that will benefit you, your family and friends for many years to come!
With ageing comes many new challenges. It also comes with many new opportunities.
This book identifies what these challenges and opportunities are and provides action steps to meet them.
297 simple action steps in fact, that you can take starting today, for improved later life wellbeing.
The 54 topics include issues such as falls, loneliness and home safety as well as positive activities such as further education, volunteering and work.
Most importantly, the book delivers information that can make a difference to your life and is written in a humorous way.
And it costs less than a takeaway pizza but is a lot better for you!
We have it available to Manage@Home visitors with a <strong>25% discount</strong> off RRP £<span style=”text-decoration: line-through;”>19.95</span> at £14.95 (includes postage in the UK).
Please use promo code: AFAMAH1
Visit the ActionForAgeing.com Shop
- Ageing – Think about the good stuff and bad stuff
The first thing is to do is have a think about ageing and how it might impact our life and that of those close to us.
Do we want to help and support our parents, family and friends to be able to…
- Continue living in their own home?
- Maintain their independence?
- Maintain their mobility?
- Continue enjoying the activities they love?
- Help them identify new opportunities for improved wellbeing?
- Help them live a safer, healthier and longer life?
The answer to the above is usually ‘Yes’, however that is often as far as it goes.
2. Injury Prevention – Take action
When asked, people might think about wanting what is best for those they care about, but they don’t then necessarily take action.
Prevention is better than cure.
An old saying, but a true one and with respect to older people and their wellbeing, prevention is categorically, statistically, no-one-argues-otherwise proven to be much better than cure.
By finding out what can be done to help people avoid the bad aspects of ageing and taking action, the whole family is better off.
Some alarming stats:
- There are 3.4m falls every year reported for people aged 65+
- 1 in 5 people 65+ who slip and fracture their hip are DEAD within 12 months
Yes, 1 in 5 are DEAD
The majority of those remaining experience severe mobility issues and/or a sense of negatively impacted wellbeing
The really, really shocking FACT:
- 1 in 3 falls are preventable.
That is, 1 million of the 3 million falls a year by people aged 65+ could have been prevented.
So when people ask what they can do to help prevent injuries, the answer is “Lots”!!
Key Fall prevention steps:
- Specific balance and strength exercises
- Medication assessment and review
- Physical Falls-risk assessment with a GP
- Eyesight Assessment
- Nutrition and weight maintenance
- Home safety awareness and safety products
3. Horses bolting – Home safety awareness
We are all hardwired to believe that we are bullet-proof and that ‘getting old’ is something that happens to other people. Or if it is going to happen to us, it will be in a few years time, but certainly not just yet.”Anyway, who would like a nice cup of tea?”
Unfortunately, we do all become more vulnerable over time and the sooner we acknowledge it and do something about it, the better off we will be.
By better off, we mean living independently and maintaining mobility.
Being able to travel to the shops, on holiday or playing with the grand children.
Being able to get out of bed without difficulty and shower confidently.
All of these normal things we often take for granted, until something happens.
Until we can’t get out of bed or we are out of breath when half way up the road to the shops.
Or possibly worst of all, we slip over in the bath and fracture our hip.
What is crazy is that people frequently won’t even entertain the thought of safety products like non-slip mats or grab rails in their home until AFTER an accident occurs.
Equally tragically, the local authorities will automatically provide a home risk assessment to and older person only AFTER that person is discharged from hospital for a fall-related injury…
Gate. Shut. Horses. Bolted…
There is a near-endless variety of products that can improve the safety and wellbeing of your ageing loved ones around their home.
From the humble non-slip bathmat to the grab rail, the night light, the bath seat, chair raiser and the bed rail.
To the more advanced pendent alarms, movement sensor pads, ramps, adjustable beds, bath lifts and bed hoists.
Ultimately, the more proactive we can be with our own health and safety and that of our ageing loved ones, the better off we will all be.
- Ageing – Think about the good stuff and bad stuff
- Injury Prevention – Take action
- Horses bolting – Home safety awareness
In short, why not take Action for Ageing?
And with a 25% discount!!
Promo code: AFAMAH1