Page 2 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - November 2016 - 23-11

Page 2 Senior Times - November 2016
SHUT-INS SHUT DOWN By: Sherii Sherban, Publisher
As we enter the time of year that festivities abound it is important to remember that
not everyone has the mobility that they use to. While you might proudly say that Mom or Dad is still living in their own home,
what you might be missing is that it’s quite possible that they could be experiencing declines that you are not even aware of.
Sadly, the number of mature adults
that are now mostly confined to their home across the United States has sur- passed two million according to JAMA Internal Medicine Journal. That’s two million people that might not be getting the care and services that they need to thrive as an individual. Surprisingly, that’s more than the number of mature adults in nursing homes across the nation. According to the study, the homebound have high disease and symptom rates, substantial functional limitations and higher mortality than the non-homebound. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the homebound elderly
suffer from metabolic, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and musculoskeletal diseases, as well as from cognitive impairment, dementia and depression,
at higher rates than the general elderly population. By 2030 one in five people are expected to be over age 65 giving rise to the conclusion that these numbers can do nothing but increase. All very good reasons to look for solutions for our shut-ins.
These homebound individuals rarely, or never leave their home. How do they get their daily needs met? And why are they homebound? Answers to these questions may help in building solutions or to make changes for the health of the homebound person.
Logic dictates that there are many reasons why someone becomes a shut-in ranging from physical and mental health, as it relates to chronic conditions and mobility, to transportation and resources needed to meet their needs.
Loss of mobility is a significant issue for the mature adult. Sometimes it is because of the lack of ability to move much at all, especially when dealing with a chronic condition or after a fall or other injury. Unfortunately, it has been shown that among home health patients, those with depression had a greater likelihood of adverse falls and being hospitalized than those without depression.
For the senior that can walk more than five yards, surface height variances might be their greatest challenge resulting from difficulty with stability as levels change. Ultimately making leaving their home difficult. However, even in a small home there are often steps to enter from the
front door or even from the garage. When stability is an issue, just two steps could
be too many for the weight distribution changes needed to enter or exit their home without fear of falling. A senior living in a two-story home may no longer be using the upper floor, or even the basement for the same reasons. Consequently, hygiene might be suffering because they may not be using the laundry due to the fact that it might be on another level, as an example. For those seniors living in an apartment complex the number of steps may increase significantly, further restricting their ability to exit their apartment. A ramp might help to relieve the frustration and allow for easier access or exiting of their home. A ranch style home might help as well, allowing the senior to have immediate access to the needed items for daily living.
No matter the cause, when mobility becomes the limiting factor the result is
that this mature adult is at risk for becoming
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