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On A Personal Note… |
Typically, the articles appearing in this section of both the
Burlington County Woman and Camden County Woman publications focus on
some aspect of hospice care such as the management of end-of-life
issues, grief and loss, caregiver concerns, etc. However, this article
is different. This one is personal.
On December 23rd of this recently past year, a woman died while
in hospice care. She was not someone whose name you might recognize.
There was no mention of her death on the 6 o’clock news. In fact, her
story was one we have heard many times before. Or, we have known
someone who relates a similar experience to which we all react with
polite concern. It’s that familiar story of the elderly person who
experiences a fall while going about their otherwise active daily
routine and, as a consequence of the injuries suffered, dies. Only this
time, it was different. It wasn’t just another fall story. It was my
Mom and it haunts me that it may not have been unavoidable.
Every year, one out of three adults age 65 and older suffers a
fall. Among those age 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of
injury death. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries
and hospital admissions for trauma in that group. In 2007, 18,000 older
adults died as the direct result of falls. In 2009, more than 2.2
million non-fatal fall injuries were treated in emergency rooms around
the country. Trends suggest that every year the numbers are increasing
in both categories.
In hospice, education in the form of patient teaching is a
constant. Hospice specialists are experts when it comes to educating
patients and families about what to expect at the end of life, how to
manage the care needed at the end of life, and how caregivers should
take care of themselves and each other when helping loved ones cope with
end of life issues. However, the hospice team is rendered helpless when
it comes to providing the information and skills necessary to help
prevent the premature and unplanned need for the interventions of a
hospice program in cases of traumatic injury.
So, this article is personal and it’s intended as a message to
those who are most vulnerable when it comes to fall risk and to those
charged with taking care of those most vulnerable. You can start by
getting enough regular exercise to help maintain strength and balance.
Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the medicines you are taking
in order to be aware of side effects and interactions that might
interfere with alertness and equilibrium. Have your vision checked at
least once a year and update eyeglass prescriptions to assure maximum
visual acuity. Safety check your home to remove tripping hazards, add
grab-bars and railings where needed, and improve the lighting in your
home as an extra safety measure. Finally, educate yourself by going to
resources such as the Center for Disease Control to obtain literature
regarding fall prevention activities that are underway in your community
as well as on the national level.
While hospice is an unquestionably valuable and compassionate
program of services, it provides for the needs of those whose lives have
already been impacted by effects of illness or, injury. However, the
maintenance of one’s health is not a given as a part of some regulated
universal health plan and, in spite of all the litigation undertaken to
find someone else to blame for the traumatic insults that befall us, the
prevention of accidents still remains our individual responsibility.
If you would like to comment or, discuss this article with its
author, please contact Lighthouse Hospice at 1-888-HOSPICE. You may
also write to Tom@lighthousehospice.net.
