On Monday, December 8, representatives from Autumn Lake at Glen Hill Healthcare and Sheraton Caregivers came and talked about home safety, especially with the winter weather and holidays approaching.

Erin Kelly, director of rehab at Autumn Lake at Glen Hill, first went over some safety tips seniors could implement in their homes to greatly reduce the risk of falling. These tips can also be used by caregivers who are taking care of elderly family members.

“We see a lot of patients … because of the icy weather, because of the holidays, what have you. We see a lot of injuries from falling in particular. It happens, obviously, all year long, but when it’s slippery out, when it’s cold out, when people are rushing to try to get from one place to another because they want to get out of the cold, we tend to see [falls] happen a lot more often,” Kelly said. “Prevention is a lot cheaper than treatment.”

Some tips Kelly offered were to ensure walkways are clear by pushing in chairs, ensuring there is no clutter in the hallway, and securing throw rugs.

Kelly joked, “Throw rugs are called throw rugs ‘cause they should be thrown out.” Throw rugs can cause serious tripping hazards as they can slip out from underneath people, and corners that stick up can get caught on feet and walkers. She suggested tacking the rug down with non-slip adhesive on the bottom or non-slip shelf liner.

Building off that point, she said non-skid or non-slip materials should be applied in the shower and bathtub. She admitted that she has slipped in the bathtub several times due to shampoo and conditioner making the floor slippery. She added that bathmats should also be tacked down, causing the same tripping hazards as throw rugs.

Kelly suggested, for “energy conservation,” senior citizens should sit down to dry off after bathing to reduce the risk of falling. Grab bars were also a suggestion for showers, bathtubs, and stairs if railings are not possible. Suction cup grab bars, however, are not meant for fall prevention. Suction cup grab bars can really only be used for balance.

The other tip Kelly suggested is to ask for help. While neighbors may not want to supervise seniors while they bathe, asking neighbors to grab the paper at the end of the driveway or the mail is not only a far more reasonable ask, it is also a great way to prevent falling on ice.

Kelly then briefly discussed lighting. “One of the biggest reasons that we see people fall is inadequate lighting. A lot of nighttime falls.”

Kelly suggested using a night light, which is a softer light that is not too bright and disorienting. Motion sensor lights are also a great option, especially for the outside of the home during the winter season. Another big concern for seniors is stairs. While stair lifts are expensive, Kelly noted that there are exercises for seniors to do that can help them navigate stairs.

Louise Zierzow recommended that seniors reach out to Friends of Newtown Seniors, as they have services that can help with small things around the house. She also mentioned the new durable medical equipment lending library in town, Wheel It Forward.

Kelly then talked about fire safety and emergency planning. She reminded the crowd to have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms in proper working order. Kelly also mentioned that oxygen tanks are a huge factor in emergency response.

“Always let your local fire department know that you have a family member that has oxygen in your home, and let your local [electricity provider] know … If, God forbid, there was ever a fire, the fire department needs to know that there is flowing oxygen in your house … [If] there is ever an outage in your area, [the electricity provider] need[s] to know that you need to be top priority to be able to get it back because of ... medical needs,” Kelly said. She also suggested that if the power will be out for a while, go to a community area, like the senior center, to get the necessary electricity to run the tank.

Kelly informed the crowd that there should be multiple plans to get out of one’s dwelling in case of fire or another emergency. She also suggested putting emergency contact information, including 911, in several points in the house to help seniors act, and to give caregivers easy access to information in case of an emergency. This list should include name, address, emergency contact information, a list of medications, diagnoses, surgical history, and if someone has a do not resuscitate order.

Following Kelly’s presentation on safety, Monique Bongartz, senior care advisor at Sheraton Caregivers, discussed what Sheraton Caregivers does and how it can help the seniors.

Sheraton Caregivers offers one-on-one services for people in their homes. Bongartz noted that “human touch” is essential for care. While some seniors may have accidents and need to be cared for in a nursing home, going home can be “a bit of a culture shock” because no one is bringing the patient a meal three times a day. Nurses are not there looking after the patient 24/7, or the patient may need to step back into a caregiver role for a wife or husband, etc. Sheraton Caregivers can offer that bridge between the nursing home and feeling comfortable back at home.

Bongartz also talked a little bit about a safety device called “Sheraton CareGuard.” CareGuard is an audio-based AI system, trained/programmed to capture health-related issues occurring with individuals. This system is offered through Sheraton Caregivers as an add-on to caregiving services or as a standalone for those who may not be home during the day.

Bongartz said the system is “very discreet,” and is “designed to keep the family in loop of information that is health related. It is monitored by nurses.” She added that this system enables a triage system to be in place so Sheraton Caregivers can assess the situation and contact family members who are in the line of response.

During the program, Bongartz said that it will notice if patients are going to the bathroom more often, pointing to signs of a UTI which can cause confusion. It will also listen for loud, sudden sounds, which may indicate a fall.

“The rationale behind [CareGuard] is if someone is going out to work in the morning, but they know they’re coming home in the evening to be home with mom and dad, during the day, you don’t necessarily know what’s going on. [CareGuard] will help. And this will provide information of sudden changes or growing patterns,” Bongartz said.

The last piece of the presentation was from Jana Hammond, director of admissions at Autumn Lake at Glen Hill. Hammond described all the different services Autumn Lake at Glen Hill provides to the community, including long-term rehabilitation, short-term rehabilitation, and respite care. Kelly, Hammond, and Bongartz also talked briefly to the audience about healthcare benefits under Medicare and what that means for rehabilitation services.

For more information about Sheraton Caregivers, go to sheraton.care. For more information about Autumn Lake at Glen Hill, go to autumnlakeglenhill.com.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.