Paramedic offers home safety tips for seniors

Accidents can happen at any time. For example, I stubbed my toe to the breaking point recently by running into a heavy piece of furniture, which I confess was protruding into the pathway between the living room and kitchen. Aside from the pain, I also felt very stupid, having advised people many times about the dangers of blocked walkways.

So with home safety planted firmly in my mind, I called my good friend Cheri Volta, paramedic for Capital Ambulance and first aid instructor for the National Safety Council. She offered some safety tips and advice on first aid.

“Everyone should have a basic knowledge of first aid, but it is especially important for the elderly and their caregivers,” she said. “Older people, simply because their bodies have slowed down, their eyesight may be failing or their agility is lessened, have unique issues that younger people may not have to deal with.”

Poisoning is a good example. Usually associated with small children, it also can be a problem for the elderly. An older person who’s living in a small space or just looking for convenience might store cleaners and food near each other, said Volta. Poor eyesight can make it fairly easy to confuse the two if the containers are similar.

“If this situation occurs it is best to call the Poison Control Center immediately, not your doctor,” she said. “The response will be much faster because they can just type the information into a computer and instruct you on what course to take. Getting a message to the doctor could take too long.”

And do not automatically vomit. Depending on the substance swallowed, more damage could be done if it is regurgitated. Follow the Poison Control Center’s directions carefully because they could save your life, she said. The number in Maine to call is (800) 442-6305.

Poisoning also can be caused by prescription drug overdoses.

“Sometimes seniors forget that they have taken their medication, so they take it again,” said Volta. She once responded to a call where the person’s heart rate was down to 20 beats per minute because she had taken her cardiac pill three times that day instead of once.

To avoid these two poisoning scenarios, Volta recommends keeping food and cleaning supplies in different cabinets and investing in a pillbox that separates each day’s dose of medicine. Also be sure to keep a current list of all medications on hand. Paramedics will need it in case of an emergency.

The File of Life keeps all this important medical information handy in a plastic pocket that attaches to the refrigerator with a magnetic strip. A sticker for the front door is included that reads “File of Life” so emergency personnel will know to head straight to the refrigerator. The files are available for free at Eastern Agency on Aging. Call us and we will mail one to you.

“Another problem prevalent among the elderly is choking because the motion of their digestive tracts slows with age, so consequently the food takes longer to go down,” said Volta.

To prevent choking, cut up food, especially meat products, into small pieces, make sure dentures are secure, eat slowly and chew each bite thoroughly before swallowing.

“Both the elderly and caregivers should learn the Heimlich maneuver,” she added. “Older people living alone can Heimlich themselves by leaning over the back of a chair or the corner of a table. They really should find a class or have someone, such as a nurse or their doctor, teach them how to do the procedure, especially if they live alone, because it can truly be life saving.”

Cheri Volta will be back next week with more safety tips.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.