Program to Help Seniors Make Their Homes Safer
Announced by Administration on Aging
The agency’s Eldercare Locator will partner with
Rebuilding Together in three-point plan to prevent falls by senior
citizens
Dec. 8, 2008 – A program to prevent devastating
falls by senior citizens by helping them make their homes safer, getting
their families involved and helping steer them to local assistance was
announced today by the Eldercare Locator, a service of the U.S.
Administration on Aging, and Rebuilding Together, a non-profit that
helps low-income Americans maintain their homes.
The three-point program - Home Safety to Prevent
Injury Action Plan – is “in response to the economic crisis that has
squeezed the pocket books of elderly Americans,” according to the
announcement.
Millions of older adults live on fixed incomes and
have seen a large percentage of their retirement funds disappear over
the last year, leaving them short on funds to pay for day to day
necessities like food, heat, and prescription drugs.
Meanwhile, the homes of many older adults are being
neglected, leaving seniors in unsafe environments which can lead to
life-threatening situations, such as falls in their homes.
According to the Home Safety Council, falls are the
leading cause of home injury death among older adults, accounting for
52.5% of all home injury deaths for adults between the ages of 65 and
74. And yet, falls are often preventable with the proper information and
simple, inexpensive home modifications.
The Home Safety to Prevent Injury Action Plan is
being launched by the Eldercare Locator and Rebuilding Together during
the holiday season so that families gathering together can discuss the
issue of home safety and take steps to prevent a crisis.
The plan consists of the three efforts:
(1) Reaching out to the Aging Services
Network’s close to 900 organizations to invite them to participate in a
campaign to promote home safety and injury prevention with older adult
family members over the Holiday season;
(2) Publication of a “Home for the Holidays”
brochure - Preventing Falls at Home - that outlines key indoor and
outdoor dangers to assess in preventing falls, along with simple “fixes”
for the problems; and
(3) A media campaign to communicate the
message to the public broadly.
“The current economic crisis has left many older
adults in a dangerous position,” said Sandy Markwood, CEO of the
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).
“Whatever nest egg they thought they had has been
reduced dramatically. With today’s higher costs of living, their fixed
incomes are making it difficult to pay the bills. The thought of
installing a hand rail in the shower or repairing an uneven walkway is
last on the priority list, yet it can save older adults from serious,
sometimes debilitating injuries.
“This holiday season, we encourage American
families to have a frank discussion with older relatives about the
safety of their home environment. There are simple and not too costly
solutions that can prevent injuries and help older adults weather this
economic storm. The time to act is now.”
The “Preventing Falls at Home” brochure offers
families a checklist of important items to assess in the home that can
prevent falls, including stairway rails, non-slip strips in showers and
bathrooms, proper lighting, outdoor walkways, and flooring safety
issues.
Many states and local communities have low or
no-interest loans, tax credits or other programs for home modifications
for those who are older or disabled. Many Area Agencies on Aging can
direct consumers to a variety of resources for assessing the safety of a
home and making the appropriate modifications to prevent falls.
“Economic conditions are difficult, but there are
many things we can do to help older adults remain living in their homes
safely,” said Gary Officer, CEO of Rebuilding Together.
“At Rebuilding Together, we spend each day
providing free home modifications and repairs, making homes safer and
more accessible, and we are trying to help as many older adults as we
can during this crisis.”
For more information on resources available in
local communities, contact the Eldercare Locator at 800.677.1116 or
www.eldercare.gov.
About Eldercare Locator
The Eldercare Locator is the first step to finding
resources for older adults in any U.S. community and a free national
service of the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) that is administered
by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). Contact
the Eldercare Locator at 800.677.1116 or
www.eldercare.gov.
About Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is the nation’s leading
nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize
communities. Their network of more than 200 affiliates provides free
rehabilitation and critical repairs to the homes of low-income
Americans. Contact them at 800.473.4229 or
www.rebuildingtogether.org.
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Dec. 8, 2008 – A program to prevent devastating
falls by senior citizens by helping them make their homes safer, getting
their families involved and helping steer them to local assistance was
announced today by the Eldercare Locator, a service of the U.S.
Administration on Aging, and Rebuilding Together, a non-profit that
helps low-income Americans maintain their homes.
“This holiday season, we encourage American
families to have a frank discussion with older relatives about the
safety of their home environment. There are simple and not too costly
solutions that can prevent injuries and help older adults weather this
economic storm. The time to act is now.”