Sharing Obituaries and Walking a Tightrope

Last week, a parent of someone I have known for years passed away after a brief hospitalization.  The cause of death:  a fall. 

So many times, it is a fall.  Or dementia.  And, in fact, the parent of someone else I know also died the other day.  She had suffered from dementia, although I don't know the exact cause of death.

It's a sad thing when we reach the age when some of the interactions with friends happen when it is time to share news of a death, or when we find ourselves at a viewing or a funeral.  I know, intellectually, it will happen more and more as I age, but it can still be a hard adjustment.

For me, it's especially sad when death is due to a fall, because my late mother in law had suffered so many.  And my spouse's aunt, who lived to 107, lost much of her independence when she fell and broke her hip at age 101.  My sister in law's mother died in 2015, months after suffering a severe head injury from a bathtub fall.

We all face that risk, if we haven't fallen already.  If it isn't us, it is a loved one who has fallen.  A mother. A father. An aunt or uncle.

In 2015, I quoted from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Website:

"What outcomes are linked to falls? (Citations for these statistics are available on the website)

• Twenty to thirty percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as lacerations, hip fractures, and head traumas. These injuries can make it hard to get around or live independently, and increase the risk of early death.
• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• About one-half of fatal falls among older adults are due to TBI.
• Most fractures among older adults are caused by falls....
• Many people who fall, even if they are not injured, develop a fear of falling. This fear may cause them to limit their activities, which leads to reduced mobility and loss of physical fitness, and in turn increases their actual risk of falling."

So, what is the number one thing we can do, even in midlife, to help prevent falls when we are older?

Exercise.  (There's more to it than that, but exercise is a great start.)

Which is why, nearly every day, I now walk a tightrope.

 

I also get up and down. 

Loss of balance sneaks up on you.  I know that too well because my spouse and I have both fallen.

In 2015, I took a series of anti-falling classes (which I blogged about back then). There is a wealth of information online, including information on the CDC website. 

The seniors in your life (or you, if you are a senior) hopefully have access to various programs in their community.  Here are some of ours.

I wish I didn't have to share these obituaries, especially for falling related deaths.

Our hope is that we can all age with grace.  I remember what that fall meant to my spouse's 101 year old aunt, and how it impacted her remaining years.

Another Fall Another Sunday

I hate writing these posts.  I hate writing these posts on any day but especially at a time of year which is supposed to be merry and bright.

In the last week (one on Sunday), two people I know had elderly loved ones fall and injure themselves - in both cases, their mothers.

As I blogged recently, a co worker's aunt (age 98) fell, and the story did not have a happy ending.

Of course, you don't have to be elderly to fall.  It's a concern for all of us, no matter what our age.  I concentrate on the elderly because the people I know either are seniors (as I am) or caring for family members in their 80's/90's.

I've written so many of these posts over the years.  Here are some of them.

Walking a tightrope
Attending the wake of a beloved woman who died due to a fall.
Kindness and vision
Can We Turn the Tide?

My mother in law fell several times, starting in her 60's.  Her last few years were hard for her, no thanks to those falls she suffered.  She had other health issues, too, but those falls may have impacted her life more than just about anything else.  Pain was her constant companion until her passing three years ago.

 
When she was at an age when the falling started, there weren't classes on falls prevention.  Doctors didn't screen for it (they do that now at one of the major health practices for any patient over age 80.)

You Tube is full of videos demonstrating exercises. When I googled "fall prevention exercises You Tube" in 2016, I got about 260,000 results back.  Today, it was 33,000,000.

I still do the exercises (well, most of them, let's be honest) I learned in a falls prevention class I took in 2015, but I haven't progressed past a certain point.  I need to go back to the texts we were given and see what else I can do.  I promised I would in 2016, and I didn't.

I've also discovered I am on the edge of osteoporosis in my hips, and my doctor has told me to do strength training.  I haven't.  I only have myself to blame.

So, why am I blogging about this topic again so soon after the last time?  Perhaps it's because of it being the holiday season.  I know what it's like to have great sadness (more than once) during that season.  I don't want it to happen to anyone else.

I think we still have a long way to go to help the seniors needing the help of exercise programs and exercise classes.  COVID hasn't helped with this, either.

The words "he or she fell" are some of the saddest words family members can hear.  And the fear that comes with falling (I saw that with my spouse's aunt who lived until age 107) destroys a person's remaining quality of life.

Let's all be careful this holiday season.  Let's care for one another.

Another Fall Another Death

This morning, shortly after awakening, I received a text from a co worker texting our department.

Her 98 year old aunt had fallen earlier in the week, sustaining multiple injuries.  Until the fall, she had been enjoying life, still (in my co-worker's words) kicking "azz".The aunt lived in assisted living and I don't know the exact details of her fall  But the falling was enough.

The aunt passed away last night. 

This reminded me of one of a series of posts I've written over the years about falling

As much as the Stepping On program falls prevention program I participated in during 2015 taught me, there is something that they never touched on.  Not directly, anyway.  My guess is, it isn't part of the official curriculum they must follow.  I think falling education has to face something head-on.

That issue is fear.

Fear of falling.

It's real, and it's timely, as winter is coming.

At one of the first classes I took, the two instructors asked us "How many of you don't go out during the winter unless you absolutely have to?"  More than half raised their hands.  In upstate New York, winters are cold and harsh, with lots of ice and snow.  We can get over 100 inches of snow (254 cm) in a year.  If you don't go out, you are isolated.

But if you have to go out, there are icy sidewalks to deal with.  We've all fallen on them.

I'm only in my late 60's, and I am increasingly afraid of winter.  I have my spouse.  But how many people live alone, or with spouses or partners who suffer physical or health issues?

I refuse to accept that becoming fearful is a normal part of aging.  But falling seems to be all around me, and this is the latest example.

My spouse fell in October of 2017 and broke his nose, among other injuries.  He needed months of physical therapy.  He was lucky.

My mother in law, who passed away in 2018, fell a number of times, starting in her 60's.  Eventually, the cumulative injuries led to her loss of independence.

I think we all have stories - ourselves, loved ones, friends.

It shouldn't have to be like this, in your final years.

May the memory of my co worker's late aunt be for a blessing.

Fall(ing)

Today, in the northern hemisphere, it is the first day of fall.

When many of us think of the word fall, what do we see in our minds?

Corn stalks, pumpkins, and winter squash?

Or do we see something feared more and more as we grow older?  

This week (September 21-25) is National Falls Prevention week.

In 2015, after several falls, I took a falls prevention class. The class taught us exercises, and featured guest speakers, including physical therapists and a vision specialist.

But now, the coronavirus has put a temporary end to these type of classes.  Now, our local Office of Aging has issued an Autumn Walking Challenge which started yesterday, and ends on October 30.

By signing up, my spouse and I received a packet with:  "a log to record miles, tips on setting walking goals and preventing falls, information on using a pedometer to count steps" (both of us will depend on our iPhones to do that) and "creative ways to walk in your own home". (That last one is actually what convinced me to sign up.)

"All those who complete 12 miles or 12,000 steps are encouraged to enter our prize drawing by mailing their walking log to the Office of Aging".  When we got the packet, the criteria was actually "those 55 plus who have walked 12 times or completed 12,000 steps".  So, even if you are not in good physical shape, you can still participate.

On "Final Lap Fridays" you can visit the Office for Aging Facebook page and share a picture or post about your progress, if you are on social media.

We can't wait to get started.

We hope that, one day, when people think of the word "fall", this is all they will think of.

 I've blogged about falling several times. Here are several of the links.

Getting up again 

Fear of falling 

The Dutch Falling Cure 

Attending the wake

We have to find alternate ways to exercise besides a gym (still have trepidations about being in an inside gym) and walking outside.

What about you?  Are you thinking about the months ahead?

Jimmy Carter

I have repeated this blog post several times since I first wrote it in 2010.  One of those times was ths past March.

I'm moved to blog once again about our oldest living President, Jimmy Carter, age 95.  He had a number of falls recently, and is having brain surgery this morning to relieve pressure on his brain caused by fluid buildup.

We wish him the best outcome. 

James Earl Carter still lives outside Americus, Georgia in a modest house on a family compound.  At least up to now, he still teaches Sunday School and visitors can come and participate in the class.  (If you do, unpaid plug, you might want to consider this wonderful Bed and Breakfast.

More recently (2015), Carter has been treated for melanoma that spread into his brain. He also has an extensive history of pancreatic cancer, the cancer that Jeopardy host Alex Trebek is receiving treatment for.   


Once again, my post from 2010.


They called him....

The Peanut President

Jimmy Carter has always fascinated me.  He came seemingly out of nowhere, seemed to have what it took to be President, but once he got into office he never succeeded.  Yet, in private life, he has succeeded beyond what may have been his wildest dreams.

What in his upbringing, what in his childhood values, what in his education made this man?

And why has this area of Georgia grown organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and others?  What here was so special?

We are visiting the Americus/Plains area to find out. In this blog entry I am concentrating on Jimmy Carter the man.

This is the house that Jimmy Carter grew up in.

Jimmy Carter grew up outside of Plains, GA in a solidly middle class family.  The actual town, which no longer exists, was called Archery.  The realities of rural life in those days created a childhood of lots of hard physical labor.  His father, loving as he was, did not believe in keeping anything on the farm that did not "pay its own way".   And this was hard farming, although the Carters were rich enough to have tenant farmers.  Still, Jimmy worked side by side with area black farmers, performing distasteful chores such as "mopping cotton".

"Miss Lillian", Jimmy's mother, was a nurse who did not turn anyone away, black or white.

Jimmy's father encouraged Jimmy to work and play alongside of the local black farmers.

The Carters grew cotton, peanuts, and sugar cane.  Student farmers still raise these crops at the homestead today.  They kept goats for meat, and mules to plow the fields.

In this windmill, is the germ of using "alternate energy".  There is nothing new about windpower.

The Plains High School the Carters attended has been closed (as part of consolidating various school districts).  This is a classroom set up the way it would have looked for Jimmy Carter in the 7th grade. Like so many famous people, Jimmy Carter credits a high school teacher, Miss Julia Coleman, as another great influence on his life.  In 1940 Eleanor Roosevelt invited her to the White House to honor her.  I highly recommend reading about her life.

 This is the outside of the high school.

Plains was the "Big City" for Jimmy Carter.  This is what it looks like today:

One day I hope to return to Americus, and experience the area that shaped this humanitarian.


So sad to see falls impact the life of still another aging great American.

Sustainable Saturday - Failing in Falling

I've written various blog posts on falling, and today, a dear friend sent me a link to an article that is absolutely horrifying to read if you are a senior citizen - or even if you are not, given that a man I went to high school with lost his 39 year old son.  The son died from injuries suffered in a fall.  My spouse lost an aunt from injuries she suffered in a fall.  And my late mother in law's mobility and quality of life were ruined from injuries suffered in several falls.

What is sad is that many of these falls are preventable.

I fell while exercise walking in 2011.  Several years later, my spouse ended up in the ER tripping on a sidewalk crack, missed several weeks of work, broke his nose, and permanently injured both shoulders and a wrist.


In December of 2015 I attended the wake of an 83 year old woman, my brother in law's mother in law. She fell in the bathtub, back in February, and hit her head, beginning a nine month nightmare for her and her family.
That, in a way, we can understand.  People grow old.  We all will.  For too many of us, falling is part of that process.  We have come to recognize that in the United States, and are trying to work on seeing if it is possible to educate people into being more aware of falls.

We can educate people about vision, about the risk of various medications in relation to falling.  But what do we do about streets unsafe to cross, or crumbling sidewalks?

Years ago, a series of commercials for a Life Call device ("I've fallen, and I can't get up!") became classics.

Now, they aren't so funny. 

So, why am I blogging about falling today?  Because I went on a garden tour today, in a small town of upstate New York.  The gardens were amazing, but the sidewalks were less than amazing.  After the falls my spouse and I have taken we are so careful.  And these sidewalks are on the main street of town.

So people drive.   If they drive, they don't get exercise.  And if they don't get exercise, they are more prone to drive.  Until they can't because their aging reflexes and vision make their driving a hazard to others.

Upstate New York has an aging population.

It only takes one misstep for a tragedy.

Crumbling intrastructure.  The next fall could belong to someone you love.

How do we begin to solve this?

Do You Fear Falling?

As much as the Stepping On program falls prevention program I participated in during 2015 taught me, there is something that they never touched on.  Not directly, anyway.  My guess is, it isn't part of the official curriculum they must follow.  I think falling education has to face something head-on.

That issue is fear.

Fear of falling.

At one of the first classes I took, the two instructors asked us "How many of you don't go out during the winter unless you absolutely have to?"  More than half raised their hands.  In upstate New York, winters are cold and harsh, with lots of ice and snow.  We can get over 100 inches of snow (254 cm) in a year.  If you don't go out, you are isolated.

But if you have to go out, there are icy sidewalks to deal with.  We've all fallen on them.

I'm only in my mid 60's, and I am increasingly afraid of winter.  Now that my spouse has retired, I have someone to take me to work if the weather is bad.  But how many people live alone, or with spouses or partners who suffer physical or health issues?

Stepping On teaches strategies, with videos and discussions, of how to deal with various situations that result in balance challenges, and that is all good.

I refuse to accept that becoming fearful is a normal part of aging.  But falling seems to be all around me.  A co worker's father fell and hit his head last year. His injury may impact the rest of his life.

My spouse fell in October of 2017 and broke his nose, among other injuries.  He needed months of physical therapy.  He was lucky.

My mother in law, who passed away last November, fell a number of times, starting in her 60's.  Eventually, the cumulative injuries led to her loss of independence.

I think we all have stories - ourselves, loved ones, friends.

It shouldn't have to be like this, in your final years.

Experts tell us that fear of falling actually leads to an increased risk of falling.  It doesn't sound right, but it does make sense.  

Now, at times, I could wish for a third leg.  Seniors do have something like that available to them - it's called a cane.  But too many seniors shy away (we learned this in the falling classes) from using a cane, or even a walker, out of shame, or fear of being stared at.  Fear of knowing they are growing old factors into it, too. (And we were also taught that many seniors use a cane that isn't the right length.  How many of them are fitted for a cane? I wonder.)

So how do you deal with the fear?

It's great that our part of upstate New York has programs to help seniors with balance.  Falling has become a major concentration of the medical community here, as we have a high population of seniors in our area.  When I go to the doctor now, I am asked if I had fallen any since my last exam.  That question was never part of the normal pre-exam workup.

But, I feel, it won't do much good without touching on the psychological issues. What good is teaching balance if people have already developed the fear?  How about a class on dealing with that fear and learning to find ways to make it better?

Is there something like that in your community?  I wonder if fear education works.

Day three of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost

Throwback Saturday - The Non Persistance of Vision

Back in 2015, I wrote several blog posts on what I had been learning in a falls prevention class.  As my regular readers know, I have fallen several times in the past few years.

Last night, my spouse and I went to the retirement party for my "guest photographer", a friend who has provided photos for my blogs from time to time.  One of her former co workers is legally blind, and is a client of a local organization called AVRE.

I am extremely nearsighted, and I learned about the importance of vision at an early age. I've been wearing glasses since I was four.  Since the age of around eight, my non corrected vision has been in the realm of what the State of New York considers legal blindness.  Fortunately (at least up to now), it has been correctable with glasses.

At one class I attended in 2015, we were treated to a talk by Diane McMillan of AVRE in Binghamton, New York.  Diane is dual-certified as a low vision therapist and a vision rehab therapist, and personally suffers from a couple of disabling eye diseases.  So, not only can she talk the talk, she also knows, from personal experience, what "it is like".  Hence, my information from 2015:

What is AVRE?
"AVRE is a private, non-profit organization that serves people with sustained and severe vision loss. People of all ages, from infants to seniors, can and do benefit from our services. We offer a range of learning. living, and working options for people with sustained and severe vision loss."

There are many eye diseases that can affect vision. Anyone suffering from these conditions becomes more prone to falling.  In fact, a blogger I enjoy, Amy Bovaird , has blogged at length about her life with a vision disability, her adventures (if I can call them that) in falling and how her life has strengthened her faith.  Amy's blog is Christian faith-centered but there are other bloggers with vision impairments who blog from a more secular viewpoint.

It turned out that a couple of people in my class suffer from macular degeneration.  Diane explained it so well, complete with pictures taken that show the way people with macular degeneration will see a particular picture vs. people with healthy eyes, that I understand it better now.  Amy Bovaird's blog has a lot of information about macular degeneration.

We also learned about glaucoma.

Diane's message was a message of hope.  She taught us (noting I am not a medical professional, or vision professional, and you should have annual eye exams, always):

1.  Be self aware.  Test yourself monthly (it only takes a couple of minutes) with something called an Amsler Grid.  Diane told us that you have any problems (the website describes what you are looking for when you use the grid) consider this an emergency and contact an eye care professional immediately.  In general, if anything is amiss, err on the side of caution and report it to your eye care professional immediately.  Sometimes, a timely exam can be the difference between a good outcome, and the opposite.  (Since 2015, a close family member learned about this through experience.)

2.  Have that annual eye exam!  The eye cancer someone I know made a full recovery from was detected on an annual eye exam.

3.  If you are diagnosed with an eye disease, all is not lost.  Some conditions can be treated.  Other conditions may not respond to treatment, but with proper training, and assistance, you can still lead a worthwhile life.  The two women in my class with macular degeneration were proof of that.

#3, especially, resonated with me, because I have always dreaded the day the eye doctor will say "we no longer have a prescription for you."  I hope that day never comes.

Going into the New Year, please protect your vision!

Throwback Thursday - The Non Persistance of Vision

Back in 2015, I wrote several blog posts on what I had been learning in a falls prevention class.  As my regular readers know, I have fallen several times in the past few years.

I am extremely nearsighted, and I learned about the importance of vision at an early age. I've been wearing glasses since I was four.  Since the age of around eight, my non corrected vision has been in the realm of what the State of New York considers legal blindness.  Fortunately (at least up to now), it has been correctable with glasses.

At one class, we were treated to a talk by Diane McMillan of AVRE in Binghamton, New York.  Diane is dual-certified as a low vision therapist and a vision rehab therapist, and personally suffers from a couple of disabling eye diseases.  So, not only can she talk the talk, she also knows, from personal experience, what "it is like".

What is AVRE?
"AVRE is a private, non-profit organization that serves people with sustained and severe vision loss. People of all ages, from infants to seniors, can and do benefit from our services. We offer a range of learning. living, and working options for people with sustained and severe vision loss."

There are many eye diseases that can affect vision. Anyone suffering from these conditions becomes more prone to falling.  In fact, a blogger I enjoy, Amy Bovaird , has blogged at length about her life with a vision disability, her adventures (if I can call them that) in falling and how her life has strengthened her faith.  Amy's blog is Christian faith-centered but there are other bloggers with vision impairments who blog from a more secular viewpoint.

It turned out that a couple of people in my class suffer from macular degeneration.  Diane explained it so well, complete with pictures taken that show the way people with macular degeneration will see a particular picture vs. people with healthy eyes, that I understand it better now.  Amy Bovaird's blog has a lot of information about macular degeneration.

We also learned about glaucoma.

Diane's message was a message of hope.  She taught us (noting I am not a medical professional, or vision professional, and you should have annual eye exams, always):

1.  Be self aware.  Test yourself monthly (it only takes a couple of minutes) with something called an Amsler Grid.  Diane told us that you have any problems (the website describes what you are looking for when you use the grid) consider this an emergency and contact an eye care professional immediately.  In general, if anything is amiss, err on the side of caution and report it to your eye care professional immediately.  Sometimes, a timely exam can be the difference between a good outcome, and the opposite.

2.  Have that annual eye exam!  The eye cancer someone I know made a full recovery from was detected on an annual eye exam.

3.  If you are diagnosed with an eye disease, all is not lost.  Some conditions can be treated.  Other conditions may not respond to treatment, but with proper training, and assistance, you can still lead a worthwhile life.  The two women in my class with macular degeneration were proof of that.

#3, especially, resonated with me, because I have always dreaded the day the eye doctor will say "we no longer have a prescription for you."  I hope that day never comes.

But if it does come, I hope I will understand it is not the end, but rather, a new beginning.

Throwback Thursday - When Is a Fall Not a Fall?

This post, with some minor edits, was first published in my blog in May of 2015.  Since then, one person I knew (an in law of an in law) died from injuries suffered from a fall.  Others were hurt.

I took a falls prevention class in 2015, and am still practicing the exercises I learned, although, I must admit, not every exercise every day. I need to get back into it fully.

Next month, my spouse undergoes surgery, partially due to a fall he took in October 2017 that landed him in the emergency room and a three week absence from work.

Make no mistake - a fall is not to be taken lightly.   You may want to ask yourself:

When Is A Fall Not A Fall? (2015)

When is a fall not a fall?

Last week, I blogged about how I had signed up for a falling prevention course because - well, I've fallen several times in the past four years.  I am only 62 years old and I know what this can mean down the road.

My spouse had a relative who died from complications of a fall. Even my spouse's aunt, who is now 106, has not escaped falling.  A fall when she was 102 (it wasn't her first fall, either) led to a partial hip replacement.  She will never be independent again, although (for now) she still lives at home with her son.

Falling, for a senior, can be a death sentence at worst.  At best, it can result in broken bones, a trip to the Emergency Room, and/or the loss of independence.  So, if you are reading this post, and haven't fallen, you may still have elderly relatives to think about. Or, your taxes may be paying the medical bills of those who have fallen.  This is a problem that impacts all of us.

So, that's how I found myself sitting last Wednesday in a circle with six other women, and one man, and two facilitators.  The facilitators, both women, were retired RN's.  And, both had fallen.  We were all in good company.

We went around the circle, introducing ourselves, and telling our falling stories. So many of them seemed to involve walking dogs and uneven ground or gopher holes but there were some pretty nasty in-home falls, too.

Then the facilitators asked how many in the group had had joint replacements.  Almost everyone had had at least one, if not more.  In other words, I was sitting in a group of Bionic Seniors.

The program I am taking is evidence based and was developed in Australia.

Next, two physical therapists joined the class to teach us exercises we would do to build up our balance and strength, to prevent future falls.  Four exercises for balance, to be done daily.  Four exercises for strength, to be done three times a week.

I didn't feel out of place at all.  Certainly no one was giving me funny looks or wondering why a young senior was sitting in the class.

I talked to one of the RN's after class and she told me a person at risk of falling, no matter what their age, could take the class.
 
The youngest person to take this class locally was in her mid 40's.  The oldest was 103 - she is 106 now.  So, it is never too early (if you have the need), or too late.  As we were told, age is an attitude.  There are people in their 90's who think more youthfully than people in their 60's.  I want to be one of those people.

As for the question "when is a fall not a fall?", yes, there is an answer for that.  One of the RN's explained that when someone calls to register, she always asks, "have you fallen?" Many times, her question is met with several moments of silence, as the person on the other end of the phone thinks about it.  Was their fall a fall? 

Too many people think, the RN explained, a fall doesn't "count" if it doesn't result in a trip to the ER or a broken bone.  But, the RN went on, "it's like being a little bit pregnant.  You did or you didn't. You either fell or you didn't."

Have you fallen?  If so, I beg you to take it seriously.

Day 19 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #BlogBoost

Sustainable Saturday - The Dutch Falling Cure

Do the Dutch have the cure for elders falling and hurting themselves?

A fellow blogger, Roy, has become a blogging "friend" of mine. (I hope he doesn't mind me calling him a blogging "friend").  Some of his posts are a bit over my head (sorry, Roy!) especially the tax posts (he is an experienced Enrolled Agent) and some of the scientific ones.  But recently, he sent me a Facebook message about a New York Times article.

This article is about how the Dutch are facing a rising population of those over 65, many of whom find themselves living alone in their golden years.  Many, in general, are at risk of falling.  Reasons vary from age to inactivity to the use of certain medications (I, for one, suspect a medication I take, and it is one I need, also is leading to balance problems).

My spouse fell in October (and is still undergoing physical therapy).  My mother in law has endured many falls.  Falls kill.  Falls injure and lead to decline.  If someone could find a cure for falling, that person would win the Nobel Prize in a heartbeat.

But what do we do until then?

The Dutch may have the answer.  And it's an intriguing one.

Falling classes.

Not falls prevention classes (I've taken one, by the way, and it was excellent.  I still do the exercises).  No, these are actual "How to fall" classes.  The class typically meets twice a week.  In one session, the seniors walk an obstacle course.  In the other session, they fall, in supervised ways, onto mats (not at first.  They work their way up to falling.  It would terrify me, for one, having survived several falls already at age 65).

They learn exercises to strengthen themselves, and simple home modifications, which my falls prevention class also touched on. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to lose the fear of falling?

Some of the falling posts on my blog - you are welcome to check them out.  Here is one:
Did my Falls Prevention class work?


Day 13 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

Falling Wednesday - Finding Time for Anti-Falling Exercises

I originally posted this in November of 2015.

I'm sitting here, 7pm on a Thursday night, and realizing that I have not done all of today's balance exercises.

"I'm too busy", we all say to ourselves.

One day, we won't be too busy to sit in a rehab center, or in a hospital room, or even worse, lie in a nursing home, if we injure ourselves one too many times by falling.  Hit your head, and life as you know it may be over, as it is for the mother of one of my in laws. Broken hips equal a low life expectancy in a senior, and my spouse's 103 year old aunt broke a hip last year.  Falls can break bones in any of us.

I've been lucky - so far.  I am 62 years old.  I have fallen several times already with resulting bruises but no broken bones.  Yet.  This past May, I decided to take matters in my own hands and attend a falls prevention class.  Here in the Binghamton, New York area, we are fortunate because of our large senior population, to have a number of these programs.  They are inexpensive and well worth your time.

So, how do we find the time in our busy lives to practice falls prevention?  Here are four ways to balance time with balance exercises to help our balance. (Remember, consult a doctor first if you have any health or mobility issues.)

1.  Exercise first thing in the morning, right when we get up.  That works for me - sometimes.
2.  If we take mass transit, exercise at the bus stop.  Some exercises can be done holding a bus stop pole, for example, heel stands.
3.  Do you work?  If possible, devote 10 minutes of your lunch to the exercises.  If you have a desk job, you can do two of the exercises sitting down (sit to stand, and leg raises).  In fact, the sit to stand exercise can be one of the most important exercises you ever do.
4.  At home, do you watch TV? Several of the exercises can be done while watching TV - for example, raising your legs while in a sitting position, and rotating them.

It's all about practice.  (And remember, it's best to learn these exercises from a professional who teaches balance/fall prevention. )

Practice your balance today.  Your life may depend on it.

Do you have problems with falls?

Falling Wednesday - Can We Turn the Falling Tide?

This is a post from 2015.  I've edited it slightly, including updating ages of various people mentioned.

I also wanted to add one example I found last night.  David Freeman, the author of the book "One Hundred Things You Need to Do Before You Die" (inspiration for the movie "The Bucket List") died, at age 47, after a fall.  So, it isn't the elderly.  It's all of us.

Here's the post:

The headlines, past and present, produce fear.  Especially if you are a senior citizen or care for one.

"George H.W. Bush [a former United States President, now 93 years old] fell and broke his neck bone", read the headlines in July.  This is a man who parachuted for his 90th birthday.

Actor Robert Culp - dead from a fall at age 79 in 2010. I remember him from a TV series of the 1960's called "I Spy".  The other starring actor became famous, too, but eventually in a different way.

Singer Eddie Arnold, dead after he fell and broke a hip in 2008, just shy of his 90th birthday.

Hillary Clinton, age 69, who ran for President of the United States, has had several well publicized falls.  One ended up as a topic of discussion in her Presidential campaign.

A man by the name of William Bechill, a man famed in the aging advocacy community, died in 2007 after he fell on ice.  He was 78.

Is falling in old age something that can't be prevented?  Is there any hope for seniors as they age?  Do we in the areas of harsh winter weather (I live in one of those areas) have to become prisoners in our homes due to aging?

Many are now trying to turn this around.  And, seniors are ready to listen.

Seniors such as my mother in law's former next door neighbor of over 50 years, and good friend, is one of them.  She is 85 (I hope she doesn't mind me giving out her age) and she and I grew up a mile - and 20 years - apart in the Bronx, a borough of New York City.

This woman, a widow for many years, still leads an active life, and has lived in the same house for over 50 years.  She walks up to four miles a day.  She travels.  And when I demonstrated the exercises I had learned in my falls prevention class during a recent visit, she was eager to learn them.

Why?  Because she has fallen.  Of course, she said, "I got right up".  She didn't want her companions to see her lying on the cobblestone streets of the city she was visiting.

Except that it was a fall.

Fortunately for this woman, she is not in denial.

If your area has falls prevention classes, don't be shy.  Take them. 

It can't hurt.  I've lost a little on my waist.  I am feeling the difference as I walk my imaginary tightrope.

In just minutes away, you can gain optimism.  Perhaps we, all together, can turn the falling tide.

Falling Wednesday - Getting Up Again

I first published this post in 2016, and am repeating it as part of my summer "Falling Wednesday" series.

One of the most important things to know, if you are susceptible to falling, is how to get up again.

Lying on the floor for just a few hours can be deadly, we were taught in the falls prevention classes I took in 2015 where I live near Binghamton, New York.

To be blunt, the longer you are on the floor or ground after a fall, the less likely it is that you will return to living independently.

In 2015, I participated in a falls prevention class called Stepping On.  It was a lot more than just falls prevention, and was well worth my time.

In one "Stepping On" class, two physical therapists came, and showed us exercises to do to make ourselves stronger and less prone to falling.  They also showed us what to do if we fell.

I've been in that situation more than once.  And perhaps you've been, too.  I've been fortunate - so far either I was with someone or was able to get up on my own.

What I like about this video is that it teaches you what to do if you fall at home.  By using various objects in the typical home, this physical therapist is able to improvise and her household tools help her get up.

Towards the end of the video, she briefly explains a couple of things a senior could do if he or she was injured in the fall.  The key is to try to get up safely, or to a phone, or to a door, to call for help.

I also note that more than one of my falls were outdoors, and several people in my class were injured while walking dogs, so this video does not cover all situations.  But it is still well worth watching.

Learning to recover from a fall is NOT a do it yourself project and we only received a general demonstration.  Your particular circumstances should be evaluated by a physical therapist or other professional.  Experts suggests practicing what to do after a fall on a regular basis.

However painful to think of, the topic of what to do if you do fall is something I believe the falls prevention classes need to spend more time on.  It's great to spend a lot of time on how to prevent a fall.  But, if you fall again, it is even more urgent that you can get up by yourself, especially if you live alone.

Because I was fortunate. 

One day, we will all face this element of aging.

Falling Wednesday - Walking a Tightrope

I first posted this in June of 2015, and am now repeating a portion of this post about the hazards of falling - not just for the elderly, but for all of us.

We all face that risk, if we haven't fallen already.  If it isn't us, it is a loved one who has fallen.  A mother. A father. An aunt or uncle.

Quoting from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Website:

"What outcomes are linked to falls? (Citations for these statistics are available on the website)

• Twenty to thirty percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as lacerations, hip fractures, and head traumas. These injuries can make it hard to get around or live independently, and increase the risk of early death.
• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• About one-half of fatal falls among older adults are due to TBI.
• Most fractures among older adults are caused by falls....
• Many people who fall, even if they are not injured, develop a fear of falling. This fear may cause them to limit their activities, which leads to reduced mobility and loss of physical fitness, and in turn increases their actual risk of falling."

What is the number one thing we can do, even in midlife, to help prevent falls when we are older?

EXERCISE.  (There's more to it than that, but exercise is a great start.)

But not just any exercise.  For years, I had been doing water aerobics and walking.  Now, I find it is not enough.  I will not share "how to's" for the actual exercises, as they must be taught by trained people (we were taught by physical therapists) and practiced, and seniors must be sure they can do these safely.  We do these exercises at the beginning of each class before we learn other things.  I will say that four exercises (balance) are done daily, and four exercises (strength) are done three times a week.

Which is why, every day, I now walk a tightrope.

Not a real tightrope-I am not in training to be the next Nik Wallenda.  You will not see me on tightropes across canyons, or skyscrapers.  Nor will you see me trying to break tightrope records at the Wisconsin State Fair.

No, the tightrope walk I do each day is imaginary. Well, the tightrope is.  The walking is real.  Touching a counter lightly, I balance, one foot in front of the other.  Then, facing forward, I walk.   Eventually, I won't wobble and I will be able to walk backwards, too.  Eventually, I may be able to stop touching the counter.  What you won't see is a video of me doing this.  I will say the obvious:  my balance needs a lot of improvement. 

(Update 2017 - I have improved in my "on firm ground" tightrope walking and don't need to be near a wall or touching a counter anymore.  But I'm still not going to post any video).

So, what about you, my reader?

I was interested in this video I found on the PBS (Public Broadcasting) website on "How to Walk a Tightrope".  This sounds like a fun family activity.  It's never too early to start your children on a path of good balance.  Or you, if you are younger than I am. (I'm in my 60's).

Please continue to join me on Wednesdays to learn more about what I learned in 2015 about fall prevention.  None of what I will share is proprietary information - much of it is already online.  But learning in a classroom setting is better than reading a blog, and I encourage you, if you have fall prevention classes in your area, to encourage your loved senior (or yourself, if you have fallen or are at risk of falling) to seek out an evidence based class.  And, after the class is over, keep exercising and learning.

Falling Wednesday - Thoughts of Failing A Falling Class

Back in the middle of March, 2015, I called a number published in our county's Senior News.  A woman answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi", I responded. " I am calling about the Stepping On Falls Prevention Class."

We chatted a couple of minutes.  She wanted to know where I had heard about the class. She talked briefly about the program - seven weeks, one class a week, a falling assessment on the first and last classes, guest speakers. They would teach exercises to help prevent falls, and would have several guest speakers talking about medication and balance, eyesight issues, and more.  The cost was reasonable - $35 for seven sessions, and I would get a workbook, too.

Then came the question.

"How old are you?"

The class was advertised for seniors 60 and over.

"62", I responded.

There was a pause at the other end - a pause that made me a little uncomfortable.

"Have you fallen yet?", she finally asked.

(For more on my interest in this class, check out this post).

Then, fate intervened.

Just before St. Patrick's Day, 2015, an in law's mother in law fell in the bathtub and hit her head. It was not her first fall.  This 82 year old woman, who was living independently with her husband of many years, was rushed to the ER later that day with symptoms of a head injury.  Things did not go well from there.[Update - she died in December of 2015, after a harrowing last few months of life for her and her family.]

The CDC has some sobering statistics about falling in older adults.  And now, this in law's mother in law is just that - a statistic.

Governments and agencies serving senior populations are recognizing the problem, and trying to take steps.  You don't have to be a senior to care about the issue.  The children and grandchildren of the woman who fell are not seniors.  This has impacted an entire family, a large, close knit family.

So, about the question "have you fallen?"

I told the woman yes, that I have fallen.  I had fallen twice between 2014 and 2015, in addition to a fall while exercising on the Vestal Rail Trail (this one due to a trick ankle from an old injury) and another walk with a fall in 2011.  The trick ankle didn't cause the home fall, though.  It was a balance problem.  I fell due to a throw rug that slid when I stepped on it.  And still another time, a shoe gripped the floor in the wrong way and I started to fall, but managed to recover.

I have problems with my balance. My spouse took me to work several times this winter because it was icy and I was frightened of falling. If I wear ice treads that are sold to slip onto boots, I feel like I'm totally unbalanced. I don't know if my near falls were caused by medication (I am on several) but I have to do something now.  I don't want to wait until I'm 82 and it's too late.

What I am concerned about the most, though, is that I am going to show up, and be in a class of 80 year olds.  Then, everyone will look at me and think "why is she here?"  Dare I call this reverse ageism, that I am not old enough to have any of the problems of a senior citizen?

In other words, is it possible in our elder society to be too young?

The first class came, and then I knew how wrong I was.  More of what I learned in future posts.

Have you taken any of these fall prevention classes?  Am I right or wrong to feel self conscious about my attendance?

Day 26 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Falling Wednesday - Preserving Your Vision

Next to dementia and cancer, I sometimes think falling is the greatest health challenge we face.

Last week, the mother in law of someone I know fell twice.  The first time, just bruised.  The second time, a broken pelvis.  She is in her 90's.  Her future is uncertain.

Every one of us knows one or more persons whose lives changed forever due to falls.

For the next few Wednesdays, I will be republishing posts written in 2015 and 2016 on the topic of falling.  I hope you will find some value in them.

Please, if you haven't yet had a falling episode, read these posts anyway.  Someone you know may need this information.  Additionally, please feel free to share these posts on social media, if you find them helpful.

Much of this information comes from information I learned in a falls prevention class.  As my regular readers know, I have fallen several times in the past few years.  And I'm only in my 60's.

I am extremely nearsided, and I learned about the importance of vision at an early age. I've been wearing glasses since I was four.  Since the age of around eight, my non corrected vision has been in the realm of what the State of New York considers (if uncorrectable) legal blindness.  Fortunately (at least up to now), it has been correctable with glasses.

During one of the falls prevention classes, we were treated to a talk by Diane McMillan of AVRE in Binghamton, New York.  Diane is dual-certified as a low vision therapist and a vision rehab therapist, and personally suffers from a couple of disabling eye diseases.  So, not only can she talk the talk, she also knows, from personal experience, what "it is like". So:

What is AVRE?
"AVRE is a private, non-profit organization that serves people with sustained and severe vision loss. People of all ages, from infants to seniors, can and do benefit from our services. We offer a range of learning. living, and working options for people with sustained and severe vision loss."

There are many eye diseases that can affect vision. Anyone suffering from these conditions becomes more prone to falling.  In fact, a blogger I enjoy, Amy Bovaird , has blogged at length about her life with a vision disability, her adventures (if I can call them that) in falling and how her life has strengthened her faith.  Amy's blog is Christian faith-centered but there are other bloggers with vision impairments who blog from a more secular viewpoint.

It turns out that a couple of people in my class suffer from macular degeneration.  Diane explained it so well, complete with pictures taken that show the way people with macular degeneration will see a particular picture vs. people with healthy eyes, that I understand it better now.  Amy Bovaird's blog has a lot of information about macular degeneration.

We also learned about glaucoma.

Diane's message was a message of hope.  She taught us (noting I am not a medical professional, or vision professional, and you should have annual eye exams, always):

1.  Be self aware.  Test yourself monthly (it only takes a couple of minutes) with something called an Amsler Grid.  Diane told us that you have any problems (the website describes what you are looking for when you use the grid) consider this an emergency and contact an eye care professional immediately.  In general, if anything is amiss, err on the side of caution and report it to your eye care professional immediately.  Sometimes, a timely exam can be the difference between a good outcome, and the opposite.

2.  Have that annual eye exam!  I know an eye cancer survivor - it was detected by an annual eye exam.

3.  If you are diagnosed with an eye disease, all is not lost.  Some conditions can be treated.  Other conditions may not respond to treatment, but with proper training, and assistance, you can still lead a worthwhile life.  The two women in my class with macular degeneration were proof of that.

#3, especially, resonated with me, because I have always dreaded the day the eye doctor will say "we no longer have a prescription for you."  I can hope that day never comes.

But if it does come, I hope I will understand it is not the end, but rather, a new beginning.

Next week - how my falls prevention class journey began.

Day 19 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

Falling Wednesday - Aging Isn't a Place for Sissies

For a number of Fridays back in 2015, I featured a Falling Friday series, featuring what I had learned in a falls prevention course I took in the summer of 2015.

This past Friday, I was able to talk briefly with a former neighbor whose father was our neighbor for over 25 years.   Remembering a man who was so generous, so giving, and so kind to my son, I wanted to repeat this blog about his late wife, who also suffered from dementia, and who was as good a person as they come.  Her death was fall related.  July 4 of this year was the sixth anniversary of her death.

Most of the following post was written in July of 2011, after the wife of my next door neighbor of many years passed away.

I dusted off the post in June of 2016, right after her husband turned 91. I only hope he knew it.

Why?

Because the last time I talked to my neighbor, he had no idea how old he was.  He has followed his late wife down the road of dementia.  Dementia took someone who was once a wonderful person and neighbor with it.  He still has some lucid days, but is under 24 hour care at home. He was put in a nursing home several months ago, because his caregivers could no longer give him the care he needed.

Fortunately, he has a large, loving family.

He's 92 now, and still with us.

Here is that post from July, 2011 updated in 2017:

Today at work, I heard that the mother of a co-worker had passed away.  When I went to the local online obituary, I saw a name I knew well.  Not the co-worker's mother, but a different woman.
It was my next door neighbor of over 20 years.

She had passed away yesterday, unbeknownst to me.  Her death was fall related.

I immediately called my spouse.  He already knew, and, in fact, had just come from the neighbor's house, where he visited with family for 40 minutes.  (I visited tonight, as out of town family started to arrive.)

Her husband....her widower....seemed to be taking it well.   He said to my husband "She died on the 4th of July.  She went out with a bang."

They had celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary less than a week ago.  In the last stages of dementia, she never knew it.

 I don't care what they say about old age.  It stinks.  It robs us of the essence of what we are.  Don't talk to me about the "golden years".  There is nothing golden about those years.  Those years took the mind and then the life of a wonderful woman, who was loved by everyone who knew her.  My neighbor was a deacon of her church.  She was a retired elementary school librarian.   She did a lot of charity work.  She raised six children and at least, tonight, her husband is surrounded by their very large family. (Her husband was an only child and wanted a large family very much.  He got it, thanks to her.)

She loved romance novels.  She had hundreds of them, and she kept trying to give some to me.  She was an avid reader. She loved to have her grandchildren over to visit.

She spent so much of the last couple of years of her life a prisoner of her living room chair.  Her husband, once a telephone lineman, aged at her side.  He told me, tonight, that "I am happy".  We talked to their youngest son [the man I blogged about on Saturday], and he talked about her death.  It was a good death.  About two weeks ago, her voice became very slurred. Then she stopped eating. Then she stopped drinking.  She drifted away, asleep almost all of the time.

She died surrounded by the ones she loved, at home.

Her husband has also has a lot of health problems.    I don't want to say it out loud, but I fear for him now.

They were so much younger and full of energy and love of life when I first met them.  So was my mother in law, and my spouse's aunt who is (in 2017) age 105, and my good friend's mother, passed away in 2013 at age 94.

Like all of us, I must come to terms with my aging.   I may be looking at my eventual fate.  And perhaps that is what is affecting me now, as much as the passing of a woman great in her own way.

As Bette Davis once said "Old age is no place for sissies."

I hope you will join me, starting next Wednesday, for Falling Wednesday.

Day 12 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

Summer Memories - Independence

Today, I think of memories of independence, not Independence Day.

Were you puzzled yesterday (July 4), the United States' Independence Day, when I blogged "The title of this holiday has a bit more importance to many of us than anytime in the past few years.  More (not political) on that later."

But later never came because sometimes life throws us a surprise.

There's a story behind that unfinished thought, and it has to do with another type of independence - a story that everyone in the world can appreciate.

Two years ago, I had a blog feature called Falling Friday for several months.  I was attending a class designed to teach seniors how to reduce their falling risk.  I am in my 60's, and have fallen several times.  I've seen, first hand, how falls have ended independence for people I know, or for people that people I work with know.  After a few months, I ended the series.

It isn't just seniors who are prone to falls.  Tragically, the son of someone I went to high school with died in a freak fall in 2015.  The son left a child and a pregnant wife, and the death stunned students where he taught.

So, back to my story.

Twice in the past week, my mother in law ended up in the emergency room.  The first visit came about after she reached up into a closet to get some napkins.  The box fell on her, and she fell back, hitting a cabinet and then the floor. Thankfully, the CT scan of her head was negative.

But she hurt.  And it was not getting better. 

The second visit, to investigate the pain, was not a medical emergency, but her doctor was unable to see her and their office recommended the ER.  It was the day before Independence Day, and much of our country closes down on the 4th. So, Monday afternoon, off she went.

An X-ray revealed that my mother in law had broken her coccyx.  It's an injury that can't be treated except to manage the pain  Here, time will have to be the doctor.

Right now, she's not supposed to move a whole lot.  She needs help even to get out of bed and into her lift chair and it will be an interesting next few days.

More worrisome, though, is the possibility of her losing her independence completely. At her age, even a few days without much movement will impact her strength and ability to care for herself.  The longer she can't move, the greater the chance of deterioration.

My memories flash back.  I've known my mother in law for some 46 years.  I remember her as an active woman who mall walked, bowled, and would gather with her friends after mall walking for bagels and coffee.  Those years are long over.

Losing our independence is what we fear the most.  The last thing any of us wants is for our adult independence to become only a memory.

Had falling education been around for my mother in law back then, would it have helped?  We'll never know and I don't speculate.

So that others might be helped, I've decided to rerun those posts.  I still do the anti-falling exercises I was taught.  I believe that if even one person is helped by me rerunning the series, it will be worthwhile.

So, starting next Wednesday, Summer Memories will be replaced by a summer rerun - my experiences with anti-falling education two summers back.  I hope you will join me, and let a friend know, too.

Day 5 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost.

Falls Prevention

A couple of years ago, I blogged a "Falling Friday" feature for several weeks, while (and after) I was taking a course designed to reduce falls.

Not this kind of fall

At 64, I've already fallen several times.  I wanted so to prevent any further falls.

My mother in law, in her late 80's, has fallen a number of times, too.  Her last fall lead to some two months of physical therapy.

My heart sinks every time I hear of a senior falling.

Today, I found out someone I know had a death in her family late last week.  Her relative, 93, was active, still playing golf and still enjoying life - until he fell down a flight of stairs and broke his neck.

You don't have to be old to have this happen to you.  Someone I went to high school with lost his son a couple of years ago in a freak fall.  The son left a wife and two children, one then unborn.

I was just thinking about how I was starting to slack off on the exercises I was taught in this class.  But then I remember how I couldn't even balance several steps on an imaginary tightrope without having to grab a support.


My posts two years ago discussed what I had learned, and showed some of the exercises, which can be viewed on You Tube (filmed by professionals).

I'm thinking of reposting some of these posts.  Here are a couple of my past "falling" posts:
The Non Persistance of Vision
Falling Risk
The Return (last year, when I thought about starting the feature up.  It didn't last long.)

Time for some reflection?

What do you think?  Is falls prevention a topic you are interested in?