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May 2008 Edition
AGS Foundation For Health in Aging News
New Resources Elsewhere on the Web
New Tip Sheet Helps Older Adults Avoid Falls
Every year, about a third of older Americans fall, suffering injuries that may require Emergency Room treatment or hospital care, result in nursing home admission, or even lead to death.(See related story below) To help seniors and their caregivers prevent falls the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Foundation for Health in Aging has released a comprehensive and easy-to-understand tip sheet, "Preventing Serious Falls: Tips for Older Adults and Their Loved Ones."
Among other things, the tip sheet recommends that older adults go for regular "falls check-ups," during which their doctors or healthcare providers may check their leg strength, balance, blood pressure, and vision, and review their medications to identify and treat problems that can contribute to falls. It also offers advice on eliminating falls dangers at home, suggesting home modifications, such as installing night lights in dark hallways, "grab bars" near the toilet and bath tub, and no-slip decals or a rubber mat in the tub or shower.
The FHA's series of health tip sheets for older people is posted on the Foundation's comprehensive public education Web site. The tip sheets and all other information on the site can be printed and distributed to others at no cost.
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150 Older Adults Get Free Falls Risk Screenings Through FHA Falls Prevention Program During AGS' 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting; Many Found at Significant Risk of Falls
AGS volunteers at the Foundation for Health in Aging's first "Get Up & Go: A Falls Prevention Program" found that more than a third of the 150 older adults who they screened for risk of falling in Washington DC's Union Station earlier this month ran a significant risk of falls.
The volunteers also found that many of the older adults who got free screenings weren't regularly tested for falls risks and didn't realize how dangerous falls could be. Among older adults, falls are a leading cause of injuries and death.
Roughly 60 volunteers -- geriatrics fellows-in-training, nursing, social work, and pharmacy trainees as well as medical students and residents -- screened visitors in the busy train station using the Timed Get Up and Go Test. The simple but effective test measures how long it takes to get up from a chair, walk about 10 feet, turn around, and return to the chair. Older adults whose scores indicated a significant risk of falling were advised to talk to their healthcare providers about their screening results, and review their medications with their providers to determine whether any might boost risks of falls. They also received information about the services the AGS and FHA offer older adults and their caregivers; a new, easy-to-follow FHA "tip sheet" offering advice on preventing falls (see related story above); and additional information from AARP and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The program, part of AGS' 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting in D.C., ran from 10 AM to 7 PM on May 2. It was a joint project of the AGS, the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, the AGS Public Education Committee, and the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) Education Committees.
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Foundation for Health in Aging Extends Deadline for Photo Contest Celebrating Older Adults; Submissions Accepted Through June 16
The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) has extended the deadline for its "We All Have Grandparents Photo Contest" through June 16. The Foundation invites both professional and amateur photographers to submit photos celebrating the many faces of aging. The contest aims to capture the character and experiences of older adults, and provide images that challenge stereotypes surrounding aging.
All photos must be received by Monday, June 16, and must be the original work of the person submitting them. Contest rules and details are available online.
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May, National Stroke Awareness Month
By following a simple, four-step procedure, you can better recognize when someone is having a stroke and help him or her get potentially life-saving medical help. That's a message the National Stroke Association (NSA) hopes you'll share with others both this month - National Stroke Prevention Month - and throughout the rest of the year.
The NSA first proposed such a month in 1989 with the goal of raising awareness of stroke risk factors, prevention, symptoms, treatment, and rehabilitation.
If you suspect someone may be having a stroke, the NSA suggests you "Act F.A.S.T." This acronym can help you remember the following four steps 1) F=Face: observe the person's face and see if one side droops when he or she smiles; 2) A=Arms: see whether one arm drifts downward when the person raises both arms; 3) S=Speech: observe whether the person's speech is slurred or sounds strange when he or she repeats; 4) T=Time: if you recognize any of these signs, it's time to call 9-1-1 for emergency medical assistance.
This month is also a time for remembering those who have survived a stroke and to remind them that the National Stroke Association supports them throughout their lifelong recovery.
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"Young@Heart" Choral Group Redefines What it Means to Be Old
Young@Heart - a choral group that began in 1982 at the Walter Salvo House older adults' living facility in Northampton, Massachusetts - is showing the world what it really means to be young at heart. The two dozen members are currently starring in "Young@Heart," a newly released documentary about their group and the winner of the Audience Favorite Award at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival. The film, now screening in select theatres, amplifies the message Young@Heart Chorus has been teaching for over 20 years - that growing old doesn't mean growing old in spirit.
Ranging in age from 72 to 88, Young@Heart's members are no strangers to the spotlight. They've performed their reinterpretations of rock, R & B, and punk classics on "The Today Show," "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, "Ellen" and "Real Talk," to name just a few of their recent gigs.
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Epilepsy Foundation Launches New Seniors and Seizures Initiative
To raise awareness and recognition and improve treatment of epilepsy in older adults, the Epilepsy Foundation has launched a new "Seniors and Seizures" initiative .
An estimated 570,000 people over the age of 65 have epilepsy, according to the Foundation. Seizures, however, are more difficult to recognize in older than in younger people.
To help seniors, caregivers and others understand and recognize seizures and epilepsy and respond appropriately when an older person experiences a seizure, the foundation is placing articles about epilepsy and seizures in late life in health publications throughout the US. The Epilepsy Foundation has developed English and Spanish language video news releases (VNRs) about seizures in older adults that it and AARP chapters are disseminating nationally. The foundation has also created a curriculum to educate caregivers about seizures and epilepsy among older people that it is distributing to nursing homes and other facilities. And it is establishing senior support groups for those with epilepsy in some of its 50 affiliate groups in the US. The Foundation's Web site not only offers in-depth information about seizures and epilepsy among older people, it also includes a new, free online discussion forum featuring a special section for seniors with epilepsy.
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One in Four Disabled Seniors Uses Risky or Ineffective Medicines, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Finds
Roughly a quarter of older Americans with disabilities report using at least one prescription drug deemed inappropriate for the elderly, according to a recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report. By comparison, about 13 % of elderly people without disabilities use inappropriate drugs, according to the report, an analysis of 2004 data.
Thirty-three medications are regarded as inappropriate for people 65 and older. These medicines -- including drugs such as Xanax, Demerol, Darvon and Procardia -- should be avoided either because they are ineffective or pose a high risk of side effects, or because there are safer alternatives.
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To make a donation to the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, visit the donation page on our Web site at http://www.healthinaging.org/donate/ or call Li-Chia Ong, at 212-308-1414.
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