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Personalizing Your Home for Aging in Place

July 16, 2018

Aging Senior

Image via Pexels

When most people think about the later stages of their life, they don’t see themselves living in an assisted living facility. While circumstances sometimes necessitate the need of professional supervision around the clock, most seniors can live happily and healthily in the comfort of their own homes. However, the average house is not built in a way that makes it both accessible and safe for seniors — especially if they develop disabilities in their later age. Fortunately, there are steps one can take to personalize a home that facilitates aging in place.

Stairs, Falls, and Safety

Most homes have steps somewhere, whether they be stairs between stories or a simple elevation you have to climb to get onto the front porch. However, steps can be potentially dangerous for older people. Even if they don’t use a mobility aid, climbing up and down stairs poses a risk for falling.

Falls are the number one cause of injury and death among older Americans, especially for those with neurological conditions. As we age, we lose some of our equilibrium. Medication and injury can exacerbate that imbalance. Furthermore, the body loses some of its muscle mass and bone density. All of these factors combined mean a simple fall can lead to a devastating fracture, which can then lead to a fatal infection or illness — these issues tend to snowball like that as we get up in age.

To prevent falls, it’s best to install safety measures for all stairs in and around the house. The simplest way to make stairs safe is by placing a ramp over them. Safety ramps are good for smaller elevation and household steps. Be sure to find a version that has a non-slip surface and handrails for extra safety. For two-story houses or a place with many stairs, a ramp isn’t really an elegant option. Chair lifts for stairs can be easily installed in residential homes. Another option is installing a residential elevator if the resources are available.

Bathroom Safety for Seniors

More bodily injuries happen in the bathroom than you may expect. In fact, The New York Times once called it “the most dangerous room in the house.” Seniors need safety measures in the bathroom for the same reason they need then around stairs: to help prevent falls. The high humidity of the bathroom leaves people extra susceptible to slipping.

To make your bathroom safer, replace the current floors with slip-proof flooring that can stand up to the moisture while providing a stable surface. Avoid natural stone, ceramic, and porcelain tiles. Shower safety is also important. Seniors should transition from taking standing showers or baths and instead use a bathroom bench and extendable shower nozzle for safe personal cleaning. Furthermore, have the temperatures clearly labeled on nozzles.

The Other Option: Relocating

For some seniors, the prospect of aging in place in the home where they raised their family is out of the question. The place may be too large, too far from their kids, or it simply may cost too much to do renovations. For these people, the better option is downsizing to a more accessible home and relocating. A new house is a perfect start for this important chapter of life. Accessible homes can be easy to find and affordable, too. For instance, accessible homes in Ridgefield, Connecticut have a median listing price of $795,000. You can even browse properties from the comfort of your home by using online filters that find the accessible homes that are for sale in your desired area — just use the checklist to find what you need.

If you want to age in place, you have to keep safety in mind. Common household things like stairs can be potentially dangerous for seniors. If you want to stay in a house, you will need to make renovations and modifications that ensure your safety and prevent falls. However, it may be worth it to consider relocating to a smaller home that is already accessible for seniors.

Filed Under: Disabilities, Seniors, Slip and Fall

GranuFlo and NaturaLyte Dialysis Heart Attack Attorneys

October 1, 2012

GranuFlo® and NaturaLyte® acid concentrate are products used in hemodialysis treatments. They were recalled on March 29, 2012, due to a high risk of dosing error leading to heart attack and death. These products are still in use. If you are a dialysis patient and have suffered a heart attack or another adverse cardiac event GranuFlo® or NaturaLyte® may be to blame. Heart attack attorney Richard P. Hastings can help you get compensation for your injuries.

GranuFlo® and NaturaLyte® Injuries

Because the ingredients in GranuFlo and NaturaLyte are different to those in similar products, improper dosing is highly likely, and can result in bicarbonate overdose and blood which is too alkaline. GranuFlo and NaturaLyte injuries can include:

  • Metabolic alkalosis
  • Heart attack
  • Cardiopulmonary arrest
  • Heart arrhythmias
  • Stroke
  • Sudden cardiac death

Fresenius Medical Care Failed to Warn

Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) makes GranuFlo® and NaturaLyte®. It is the largest operator of dialysis clinics in the country, treating about one-third of the 400,000 dialysis patients in the U.S. FMC also sells dialysis products, including GranuFlo® and NaturaLyte®, to clinics it does not operate. It is estimated that about 125,000 patients receive GranuFlo® in non-FMC clinics.

FMC issued a memo, dated November 4, 2011, to its clinics warning of the dangers of GranuFlo®, but did not warn its customers of the dangers with the product. It was not until March, 2012, when someone anonymously leaked the memo to the FDA, that FMC notified its customers of the problem with GranuFlo and NaturaLyte and initiated the recall.

If you believe that GranuFlo® or NaturaLyte® caused your heart attack, please contact us right away to learn more about your legal rights. Look at our website at www.hcwlaw.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Heart Attack Attorneys

August 30, 2012

A quarter of a million Americans suffer fatal heart attacks annually, and doctors estimate that a significant number of these cardiac deaths could have been prevented with the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Heart attack attorneys such as Richard Hastings seek to hold businesses and property owners that fail to provide AEDs on-site responsible for these preventable deaths.

Heart attack victims and their families may also be able to sue physicians for failure to diagnose a heart attack before it caused severe or fatal damage. If your loved one’s irreversible or fatal heart damage was due to no access to an AED or a wrong diagnosis, you should consult with an experienced heart attack attorney to determine whether you have a claim.

AED Laws and Your Rights

AED laws are in place around the country to reduce heart attack deaths. These federal and state AED laws require certain public places to keep AEDs functional and readily available in case of emergency. With working AEDs on hand, employees of places like libraries, schools, and gyms can potentially save the life of a visitor who is experiencing cardiac arrest.

Most people have never encountered this type of situation before and are unsure of their rights after a loved one was severely or fatally injured due to a heart attack in a public place. If you have questions about the AED laws and your rights to compensation, heart attack attorney Richard Hastings has the answers you need.

Mr. Hastings works with other heart attack attorneys throughout the country to seek justice for victims of heart attack. He has experience litigating AED negligence and heart attack misdiagnosis lawsuits.

Heart Attack Misdiagnosis

When doctors fail to recognize warning signs of a heart attack, treatment may be delayed and the patient can suffer permanent or fatal injuries. In many cases, physicians mistake symptoms of a heart attack for another condition and actually misdiagnose the cardiac event. In cases of misdiagnosis, this delay can prove deadly and the treatment measures prescribed can be extremely dangerous for heart attack patients. If you believe your loved one’s heart attack misdiagnosis is to blame for serious injury, talk to our heart attack attorneys to determine if you have a medical malpractice claim.

Please contact us at your convenience to schedule a consultation.

www.hcwlaw.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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Personalizing Your Home for Aging in Place

When most people think about the later stages of their life, they don’t see themselves living in an assisted living facility. While circumstances … [Read More...]

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