National Falls Prevention Week came and went in September, but the Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area’s (AAACAP) Care Coordination Program works year-round to help older adults take a stand and be mobile in their homes by making minor home improvements to increase safety and decrease risk of hospitalizations due injury. Each year it averages about 50 home improvement projects throughout the region.
“The care coordination program wants healthy and safe homes that increases access and mobility while supporting independence,” said Melissa Crawford, care coordination program manager for AAACAP, a CAPCOG division. “Even minor repairs and modifications can be costly and out of financial reach for older adults, who may have challenges securing a trusted and reliable contractor for smaller projects.”
The program funds local partners to install devices in and around the home; items could include porch ramps, shower and bathroom grab bars, offset or swing doorway fixtures that allow for better wheelchair access, and indoor and outdoor railings. The improvements can help prevent falling and people from joining national statistics. According to the National Institute on Aging, six out of ten falls happen at home, and according to the AARP, one and three people 65 or older fall each year with 1.6 million older adults in the U.S. visiting an emergency department for fall related injuries.
AAACAP’s CAPABLE Program also can provide similar services to prevent falls and help older adults age in place. The program partners an occupational therapist, a nurse, and a home repair specialist to work with residents to plan interventions to obstacles that may keep them from aging in place. AAACAP also provides a Matter of Balance courses, which educates older adults to reduce their risk and fear of falling, through practical strategies and maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle. Contact AAACAP at 512-916-6062 or 888-622-9111 or go to capcog.org/what-we-do/care-guidance-services/ for more information. November is National Caregivers Month and the CAPCOG Executive Committee is set to proclaim the month as such during its October meeting.
