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55 and Up: Home Safety and Prevention Program
Being part of an aging society, the Norwich Township Fire Department recognizes the need to be proactive in preventing medical emergencies and fire related situations for the older adult residents of Norwich Township, including the City of Hilliard and Brown Township. For EMS, the older adult is a small percentage by population but account for an average of almost 40% of our requests for service. If we can prevent illness, injury or fire, then we are performing to meet the needs of our residents.
This program is designed to assist our older adult population and/or their caregivers by providing guidance on improving living safety conditions. The components of this program include the following:
1. Make a request to the Norwich Township Fire Department for a home visit
2. The fire department will come out and assist you with the following:
a. Home safety inspection
b. Medication organization and safety
c. Complete a vial of life form for each occupant
d. Provide a complimentary medication organization container
Many of the incidents relating to older adults can be prevented with the largest category of incidents being falls. This injury causes pain, is costly to the individual and the healthcare industry and carries a high mortality rate. Falls are preventable and we as an organization will utilize this program to reduce falls in older adults in our district.
According to the CDC, falls are not inevitable but they do occur more often among older adults because fall risk factors increase with age and are usually associated with health and aging conditions. These risk factors include:
Biological Risk Factors
• Mobility problems due to muscle weakness or balance problems
• Chronic health conditions such as arthritis and stroke
• Vision changes and vision loss
• Loss of sensation in feet
Behavorial Risk Factors
• Inactivitiy
• Medication side effects, overuse and/or interactions
• Alcohol Use
Environmental Risk Factors
• Home and environmental hazards (clutter, poor lighting, etc.)
• Incorrect size, type or use of assistive devices (walkers, canes, crutches, etc)
• Poorly designed public spaces
The Centers for Disease Control have identified five building blocks of effective community-based fall prevention programs. They are:
1. Education about falls and fall risk factors
2. Exercises that improve mobility, strength, and balance, and that are taught by trained, nationally certified exercise instructors or physical therapists. Exercise programs include:
• Tai Chi
• Individualized exercise sessions
• Group exercise classes
• Home exercise programs with supervision until the older adult can exercise independently
3. Medication Review to identify side effects or drug interactions that may contribute to falls. The reviews should be conducted by a pharmacist or healthcare provider. Medication management adjustments to or changes in medications should be provided by physicians.
4. Vision Examinations by trained healthcare professionals with vision correction by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
5. Home Safety assessment and home modification by occupational therapists or other healthcare professionals with specialized training, to identify and modify home hazards that can increase older adults’ risk of falling.
By expanding the Norwich Township Fire Department scope into injury/illness/fire prevention for the 55 and up residents of Norwich Township, our department will be fulfilling the obligations of one of the key components that is necessary to reduce the potential for a catastrophic event.
Other helpful resourses are as follows:
What if I Fall?
Medication Safety
Fall Prevention Community Resourses
Older Adult Home Safety and Prevention Program Resources utilized during development:
- Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal Home Fire Safety Checklist
- Hamilton County Fall Prevention Taskforce ‘Medication and Fall Prevention', http://www.fallpreventiontaskforce.org/falls_medication.htm
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration ‘Medicines and You: A guide for Older Adults', www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/ucm163959.htm
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control ‘The 5 Building blocks of Effective Community-based Fall Prevention Programs’
- Right At Home ‘Making your Home Safer for Dementia and Alzheimers Patients in Arizona’
- NFPA ‘Fall Prevention Reminders’ 2005
- NIH: National Institute on Aging ‘Falls and Fractures’, http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/falls.htm
- National Institute of Health ‘Falls and Older Adults’, http://nihseniorhealth.gov/falls/toc.html
Age 60 and Over Assistance Information
Individuals age 60 and over often times have special needs. As we age, our bodies undergo change. With this change, we need to modify how we perform some tasks, but also understand the whole aging process. As a community based organization, the Norwich Township Fire Department realizes the need to be proactive and reach out with interventions to prevent problems. Click here to learn more about these resources for those age 60 and over, as well as for their caregivers. If you have any questions, please contact the EMS Coordinator at (614) 876-7694 or email Vince_Papa@NorwichTownship.org.
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