BeHome4Ever Vertical
Welcome to BeHome4Ever Vertical, our fall prevention program. Unintentional falls are the number one reason why so many elderly people visit the Emergency Department (ED) and so many adult children caregivers need to take time off from their jobs. One out of three Older Americans fall per year but less than half of those who fall talk to their health care provider about it. Medicare reports, "In 2012, 2.4 million non-fatal falls among older adults were treated in hospital emergency departments and 722,000 of those treated were hospitalized." In North Carolina the average cost of a broken hip ranges from $23,000 to $36,000 with minor fractures being treated on average for about $11,000. Out of pocket for these breaks and fractures is around 30% or $7,000 to $11,000. That’s right; Medicare doesn’t pay for it all, you pay what they don’t pay. Much of these costs that Medicare does not pay are for doctor visit copays, X-rays, drug copays, surgery copays, Medicare copays, therapist copays, and other facility copays. The tragedy is that many of these falls are preventable for less than 10% of the cost of one fall. This page is dedicated to giving you the most concise information in the form of check lists that you can do with your loved one to understand their fall risk and how to prevent a fall. So let’s get together and BeHome4Ever Vertical!
Falls occurrences are “multifactorial”. There are three factors involved in a fall that when they come together create a perfect storm resulting in an unintended meeting with the ground or surface under the feet. These factors are: Biological, Psychological, and Environmental. We’ve put these factors into simple steps that can be performed in any order using screening tests used by the professionals freely available on the internet. What is important is that all three steps are performed to ensure minimal risk of fall.
For background on fall prevention, we highly recommend reading the document in the button below. The document is a bit old but still very applicable! This is a well written document that is easy to understand; and it gives you all of the background information you will need. If you do not have the time to read the entire document, we’ve highlighted the important information for you! If you want more information on falls and fall prevention see the references and the end of this document and cut and paste them into your browser. If you only have a few minutes, please see these videos by topic at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/videolist.html .
All of the free documents below on this page are our gift to you! We want you to use them and share this site with others to prevent falls! We want your loved ones to BeHome4Ever Vertical!
Welcome to BeHome4Ever Vertical, our fall prevention program. Unintentional falls are the number one reason why so many elderly people visit the Emergency Department (ED) and so many adult children caregivers need to take time off from their jobs. One out of three Older Americans fall per year but less than half of those who fall talk to their health care provider about it. Medicare reports, "In 2012, 2.4 million non-fatal falls among older adults were treated in hospital emergency departments and 722,000 of those treated were hospitalized." In North Carolina the average cost of a broken hip ranges from $23,000 to $36,000 with minor fractures being treated on average for about $11,000. Out of pocket for these breaks and fractures is around 30% or $7,000 to $11,000. That’s right; Medicare doesn’t pay for it all, you pay what they don’t pay. Much of these costs that Medicare does not pay are for doctor visit copays, X-rays, drug copays, surgery copays, Medicare copays, therapist copays, and other facility copays. The tragedy is that many of these falls are preventable for less than 10% of the cost of one fall. This page is dedicated to giving you the most concise information in the form of check lists that you can do with your loved one to understand their fall risk and how to prevent a fall. So let’s get together and BeHome4Ever Vertical!
Falls occurrences are “multifactorial”. There are three factors involved in a fall that when they come together create a perfect storm resulting in an unintended meeting with the ground or surface under the feet. These factors are: Biological, Psychological, and Environmental. We’ve put these factors into simple steps that can be performed in any order using screening tests used by the professionals freely available on the internet. What is important is that all three steps are performed to ensure minimal risk of fall.
For background on fall prevention, we highly recommend reading the document in the button below. The document is a bit old but still very applicable! This is a well written document that is easy to understand; and it gives you all of the background information you will need. If you do not have the time to read the entire document, we’ve highlighted the important information for you! If you want more information on falls and fall prevention see the references and the end of this document and cut and paste them into your browser. If you only have a few minutes, please see these videos by topic at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/videolist.html .
All of the free documents below on this page are our gift to you! We want you to use them and share this site with others to prevent falls! We want your loved ones to BeHome4Ever Vertical!
STEP 1: Biological
Our bodies deteriorate as we age and that deterioration worsens faster if we do not exercise and keep our sensors in good condition. Poor biology in the areas of balance, coordination, strength, and gait means you can’t detect nor resist a fall from happening. A free DVD of 26 balance and strength chair exercises, and other exercise materials, are available from the National Institute for Health (NIH) at http://go4life.nia.nih.gov/free
It is always a good idea to discuss these tests with your loved one’s physician before performing them. A physical therapy essential ambulation gait belt to prevent falling is advisable when working with cases of frailty and weakness. See http://www.savonmedimart.com/ecommerce/physical-occupational-therapy/gait-belts.html?limit=15 or http://www.isokineticsinc.com/product/p_6528Q where you can purchase an inexpensive belt.
For screening tests you can do to determine you or your loved one's biological risk of falling download these documents:
Our bodies deteriorate as we age and that deterioration worsens faster if we do not exercise and keep our sensors in good condition. Poor biology in the areas of balance, coordination, strength, and gait means you can’t detect nor resist a fall from happening. A free DVD of 26 balance and strength chair exercises, and other exercise materials, are available from the National Institute for Health (NIH) at http://go4life.nia.nih.gov/free
It is always a good idea to discuss these tests with your loved one’s physician before performing them. A physical therapy essential ambulation gait belt to prevent falling is advisable when working with cases of frailty and weakness. See http://www.savonmedimart.com/ecommerce/physical-occupational-therapy/gait-belts.html?limit=15 or http://www.isokineticsinc.com/product/p_6528Q where you can purchase an inexpensive belt.
For screening tests you can do to determine you or your loved one's biological risk of falling download these documents:
STEP 2: Psychological
Risky behaviors, poor decisions, low confidence, fear of falling, neglecting to identify and correct fall hazards creates opportunity for a fall. Over time, even if we appear healthy and normal, we can suffer losses in executive functioning and minor cognitive impairment not noticeable to family and friends. The Alzheimer’s Society has assembled a great tool kit to determine if such losses are happening with your loved one. It is always a good idea to discuss these tests with your loved one’s physician before performing them.
If your loved one is giving answers that make little sense in the context of the conversation, please don’t immediately think dementia. First think sensory loss, specifically hearing loss. Hearing loss is often a cause of dementia like symptoms. Hearing loss is a common problem caused by noise, aging, disease, and heredity. Hearing is a complex sense involving both the ear's ability to detect sounds and the brain's ability to interpret those sounds, including the sounds of speech. There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss: 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old, or older, have a hearing impairment. People with hearing loss may find it hard to have a conversation with friends and family. They may also have trouble understanding a doctor's advice, responding to warnings, and hearing doorbells and alarms.
To understand more on vision and hearing losses please visit the National Institute of Health (NIH) Senior health web site at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/category/visionandhearing.html .
Download the Alzheimer’s Society tool kit and the confidence screen using the buttons below:
Risky behaviors, poor decisions, low confidence, fear of falling, neglecting to identify and correct fall hazards creates opportunity for a fall. Over time, even if we appear healthy and normal, we can suffer losses in executive functioning and minor cognitive impairment not noticeable to family and friends. The Alzheimer’s Society has assembled a great tool kit to determine if such losses are happening with your loved one. It is always a good idea to discuss these tests with your loved one’s physician before performing them.
If your loved one is giving answers that make little sense in the context of the conversation, please don’t immediately think dementia. First think sensory loss, specifically hearing loss. Hearing loss is often a cause of dementia like symptoms. Hearing loss is a common problem caused by noise, aging, disease, and heredity. Hearing is a complex sense involving both the ear's ability to detect sounds and the brain's ability to interpret those sounds, including the sounds of speech. There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss: 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old, or older, have a hearing impairment. People with hearing loss may find it hard to have a conversation with friends and family. They may also have trouble understanding a doctor's advice, responding to warnings, and hearing doorbells and alarms.
To understand more on vision and hearing losses please visit the National Institute of Health (NIH) Senior health web site at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/category/visionandhearing.html .
Download the Alzheimer’s Society tool kit and the confidence screen using the buttons below:
STEP 3: Environmental
Our homes have many fall hazards that mark the spot where a fall will one day occur. It is often just a matter of time. A professional who knows what to look for can identify many common hazards and make recommendations for you in a short one hour walk through of your home. At BeHome4Ever, Inc. we have developed a checklist that we feel is superior to any check list found on the internet. We can work with your schedule to visit the home, or remotely with you at the other end with a smart device (phone, tablet, or laptop). The cost of this service is $99 plus travel if smart device is not used. Our report will recommend what to do for each fall hazard identified in the check list.
To contact us for your fall hazard inspection call us at 336-578-5809 or use the contact us with FALL INSPECTION in the subject line and start preventing falls today!
Our homes have many fall hazards that mark the spot where a fall will one day occur. It is often just a matter of time. A professional who knows what to look for can identify many common hazards and make recommendations for you in a short one hour walk through of your home. At BeHome4Ever, Inc. we have developed a checklist that we feel is superior to any check list found on the internet. We can work with your schedule to visit the home, or remotely with you at the other end with a smart device (phone, tablet, or laptop). The cost of this service is $99 plus travel if smart device is not used. Our report will recommend what to do for each fall hazard identified in the check list.
To contact us for your fall hazard inspection call us at 336-578-5809 or use the contact us with FALL INSPECTION in the subject line and start preventing falls today!