Slips, Trips And Broken Hips

A friend of mine recently confided that her 91 year old father had broken one of his ribs falling off a ladder, and was now incapacitated in his home. This accident was a major blow to a robust senior who had just recently passed his drivers exam with ease.

You might think that such accidents “just happen” to seniors and that nothing can really be done to prevent them. Not so, because many occur in predicable and avoidable ways. By taking some simple, preventative measures, her father could have considerably reduced his chances of being injured. Read that again to absorb it, because the following information is literally life changing.

Falls are by far the leading cause of unintentional injuries for seniors in Canada, with over 87 percent resulting in hospitalization for those 71 years of age or over. They also account for 75 percent of deaths resulting from injury.

In particular, falls have a grave impact on independence. According to a 1996 New England Journal of Medicine study, 40 percent of seniors’ falls result in hip fractures, half of these will never walk unassisted again; with about 20 percent being moved from private residences to institutionalized care.

Sadly, a further 20 percent will die within 12 months of this injury. Others may face an irreversible decline in function and undermined health, causing unrelated diseases or illnesses to prove fatal. (BC Ministry of Health Planning report, 2004)

Findings from studies show that these incidents occur as a result from a combination of physical, behavioural, social and economic conditions, in conjunction with environmental hazards. However, risk factors can be modified when preventative strategies are put in place.

A good start is by installing brighter lights, uncluttering and cleaning your home, having your vision checked, and getting your doctor to review high risk or multiple medications which may lead to balance problems. And NEVER balance on ladders or unstable stools for objects out of reach. Though you may still feel young, the body often betrays the mind.

As your daily routine becomes less demanding, maintaining or regaining physical fitness is the single most effective fall prevention measure available. It can improve balance, mobility and reaction time, as well as bone mineral density.

A 2004 British Medical Journal study concluded that exercise reduces fall risk among seniors by 15 percent and the number of falls by 22 percent. Walking, cycling, mild aerobics, or other activities are great in such a situation, but consult your health professional if in doubt about a new exercise program.

Nutrition is also important, as regular healthy meals keep up strength and vitality. If unable to make your own meals, services such as “Meals on Wheels,” (250-439-7461), “Better Meals” (604-299-1877) or Interior Health’s “Dinners at Home” (250-492-4000) are alternatives to look into.

If still unsure of your safety, emergency response systems, installed and monitored for a small cost, will get help for you in case of an emergency. Look in the Yellow Pages under “Medical Alarms.”

Knowing how to grow old safely is the height of wisdom and a delicate step in the art of living. Every change you make to adapt your home or health will keep you from falls or injury. I recommend you request the “Safe Living Guide,” from the Public Health Agency of Canada. It contains tips for just about every situation where accidents can occur.

Grey Power: The New Economic Force

Every day, millions of Canadians get up, take a shower, have breakfast and make their way to work. But for one in seven Canadians, or roughly four million of them, that routine may soon be interrupted.

At 82.5 years for women and 77.7 years for men, the average age of Canada’s population is fast rising, says Statistics Canada. The proportion of people aged 80 and over increased by 25 percent between 2001 and 2006, second only to those aged 55 to 64, and surpassed the one-million mark, according to our latest census. And the proportion of our centenarians (100 years of age or older), also rose by a relatively steep 22 percent over that five-year period.

Additionally, there are more seniors than at any time in Canadian history. By 2011, the growth of the elderly population will again accelerate as the first of the baby boomers reach 65, resulting in older people outnumbering children within 10 years. By 2041, an estimated 23% of the Canadian population will be over 65.

This ensures that broad social changes will force Canadians to rethink their traditional ideas about retirement, according to New Frontiers of Research on Retirement, a book released by Statistics Canada last year. The baby boom generation, the vanguard of whom turned 60 last year, is about to unleash key institutional and cultural changes.

This leads us to some important facts about seniors. They are now living in better health, are more physically active, and spend a significant amount of their leisure time traveling because they have more free time than other age groups, states News Canada.

On average, senior citizens may have lower incomes, but that income has also risen faster than other age groups over the past decade and a half. So don’t be fooled by the ‘rocking chair’ stereotype of older people. Even with growing uncertainty about future financial security, through sheer numbers alone, retirees are actually spawning a major new economy. That’s right, instead of being wheelchair bound, our loveable older population is becoming a major economic force. Welcome to the power of the “New Aged.”

Freed from the constraints of raising a family and with more time of their own, mature consumers seek products, services, and activities that compliment their desire to live life to the fullest. Once a person enters the “retiree” demographic, he/she will be a member for life, rather than young adults moving from their 20’s to 30’s, etc. This makes them a very attractive community to a range of advertisers and marketing sponsors. But it also implies certain responsibilities and approaches. From travel to fitness, finance and groceries, cosmetics, vehicles and yes – gasp – even mobile phones and the internet; advertisers are tapping into this powerful consumer market.

Reaching this vibrant and expanding segment of the Canadian population requires some effective communication at all levels, says the Public Health Agency of Canada. New attitudes and more sensitive materials and services need to be developed, as well as keeping abreast of the evolution of that market, as new and different generations will reach the “golden years” over the next few decades.

At the moment, there is still an attitude which caters largely to the youth market. Not only is this an assault on the sensibility of the mature audience, but retailers which do not recognize this fact are bound to suffer being shunned by this major market force. This is not a bandwagon; this is reality. The “Grey Power” has arrived. Realize it, accommodate it, or be left behind.

Suddenly Sixty And Other Shocks Of Later Life

Take a deep breath and drink it in. It seems like just yesterday that you were fifty – and now – without warning, you turned the big six-o. Six times ten doesn’t sound so bad, but looking forward, it’s only ten years removed from seventy which – yipes – is the official age of seniordom. You’re now at that age when you either become that famous grandpa with the kids, or become famously invisible to teenagers. Take your pick.

Well, what do those kids know anyways? Your cranium may be overstuffed with names, stats and events dating back to 1947, but you are now at the peak of your intellectual power. You’re earning more money than at any time in the past; you’re technologically savvy, and you can still network with the best.

There is however one dead giveaway – that body. By now, if you haven’t taken care of it – or if gravity has defied your best effort to shore up support south of the back fourty – the wrinkles appear deeper, the eye bags more colourful and the pains more severe.

But you would never trade your friends, your wonderful life, and loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly – or would you? Not likely. Let’s face it; you’ve finally become less critical of yourself, despite that swimsuit stretched over a bulging body. You now swan dive off the three metre board with flailing arms, while defying the pitying glances from the younger set. Now that’s real maturity.

Hair is also a dead giveaway. While young, you may have spoken with your hairstyle, but now, it speaks for you – without permission. Either it’s gray or not there at all. A shiny palate that reflects the sun is not necessarily the excusive domain of seniors anymore, but those wispy, thin and delicate gray hairs, by and large, are still an identifying colour of the older class.

This is also a time of stampeding change for deep set personal habits. Nowadays, six in the morning is when you get up, not when you go to sleep. And computer time, a wasteland for younger people, is where you actually get some work done.

To save money, you no longer drink at home before going to the bar, so now there’s actually more food than beer in the fridge. This of course helps you forget what time Taco Bell closes.

Your home life becomes a hotbed of responsibility as you become more organized; taking the garbage out on time and actually keeping the potted plants alive.

The trade off’s are those “senior moments” which come around every now and then, when you get to wondering what you were just thinking about. But I guess that’s a good substitute for the 40 years spend behind the plow. You now have less to think about, but those things can be important – like taking the proper medications and remembering you have a cat, not a dog. Cats don’t like leashes and they won’t roll over for you.

Still, you take it all in stride and realize the only limit on age is what we put on ourselves. Some are old at twenty and others young at ninety, so smile and present yourself as an ambassador of a “new” generation.

Yes, the Pulitzer or Nobel Prize may have eluded you, but you’ll still meet people who influence you; do things that broaden your horizon; and go places that expand your education. Enjoy it – you’ve earned it.