Linda and Joseph have lived in their Oakdale country home for many years. Due to Joseph developing not only Alzeimers but dementia, Linda became his primary caregiver. Her husband can be often found wondering the home or front yard due to his loss of memory. Because of this Linda’s concern for Joseph having a fall grew greatly. After having a ramp installed at the back door entrance into the garage, Linda knew she still needed more help to ensure her husband’s safety. Through reaching out to the Area Agency on Aging Linda was referred to The Dignity At Home – Fall Prevention Program and the Healthy Aging Association. She was very excited about the program and the potential benefits. During the in-home fall prevention assessment the couple received a lot of great information on things that they can do themselves to reduce the chance of a fall. Four night lights were donated to the family to ensure well lit pathways, two file of lives, and two med-cards were also given in the event of an emergency. A recommendation of fall prevention accessories was also done following the in-home assessment, with much of the installations taking place in the main shower. To improve the couple’s safety with bathing a vertical grab bar was installed inside the stand-in shower to assist not only with entering and exiting but with using the new shower stool that was also provided. A removable shower head bracket was installed which provides the clients with a less strenuous port to place the shower head back instead of risking dropping it and causing harm to themselves. Lastly, a diagonal grab bar was installed alongside the toilet to provide a safe, sturdy device for Joseph to use for standing from the toilet; a previous towel rack was used for this which broke leading to a very unsafe area. After checking in with the family a few weeks post installation Linda expressed her utmost happiness with the program. She said that neither of them had a fall since receiving the installations, that they removed tripping hazards like throw rugs, and she learned a lot about fall prevention. Linda gave the program a rating of five stars saying, “Everyone in the program was so nice, we both feel so much safer now!”
Home Safety Services is proud to help with the falls prevention needs of the Dignity at Home program clients.