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Living Safely,
Aging Well
by Dorothy A. Drago, M.P.H.
c.2013, Johns Hopkins University Press $16.95 / higher in
Canada
204 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Truth Contributor
The third step from the bottom squeaks when you tread on it
– which is something you tried to remember when you snuck in
after curfew.
There’s a light switch near the door that does nothing, and
never did. One of the kitchen drawers has a tendency to
stick. And someone, sometime, put a strip of wallpaper on
upside down.
Yes, the house you grew up in has its peccadilloes but your
mother loves it there and she wants to stay. In Living
Safely, Aging Well by Dorothy A. Drago, M.P.H.
you’ll learn how to ensure that she does.
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You probably don’t need to be reminded that, as we age, our
bodies change. Bones get fragile, eyesight dims, hearing can
fade, balance can go out of whack. These things are annoying
when you’re younger but can lead to devastating injuries for
an elder.
But mere awareness puts you on the advantage. Says Drago,
“When you anticipate the possibility of an injury, you can
attempt to prevent it.”
Take, for instance, falls.
According to nearly all sources, falls are “the primary
injury mechanism for the aging population.” But merely
knowing the risk for falls won’t prevent them; you
need to know why people fall. Clothing mishaps,
problems with furniture, slippery floors, and other
environmental reasons can be dealt with individually or with
professional help; poor balance, medications and other
physical issues can be brought to the attention of a doctor.
It can also be reassuring to teach someone how to get up if
they tumble.
But though falls may be first on your mind, there are other
things to consider when making a home as safe as possible.
Kitchens and bathrooms can be literal hotspots, and there
are ways to minimize the risk of burns and scalds.
Medication mix-ups can lead to poisoning, which can be
easily monitored. The risk of choking – the “third leading
cause of home injury death among those over the age of 76…”
- can be minimized. And good health decisions can be made
through health literacy and by asking your doctor to be an
ally.
You want to keep Mom or Dad independent a little longer,
whether it’s in their home or yours. Either way, Living
Safely, Aging Well can give you the tools to do it.
We’ve all seen TV commercials about falling, and while
author Dorothy A. Drago, M.P.H., has a huge chapter on that
aspect of home safety, I was pleased to see a bigger
picture: Drago also digs deeper and offers solutions to
other issues that don’t normally come to mind. Boomers will
be relieved to know that that includes the hard stuff, like
giving up dangerous-but-beloved possessions and furniture,
giving up a bit of autonomy, and giving up the driver’s
license.
Specifically because of those I-never-thought-of-that
issues, I think anyone who’s over age 50 needs this book on
their shelf. If you’re concerned about safety for a loved
one or want to maintain independence yourself, Living
Safely, Aging Well will give you the steps you need.
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