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Patient Profile #3 Name: Mrs. W. Age: 87 Gender: Female Conditions: Broken vertebrae in neck and upper back; hip replacement surgery Safety Challenge: Mrs. W. is an 87 year old who suffered a fall and broke several vertebrae in her neck and upper back. As a result, she needed to wear a brace at all times. She was also recovering from a hip replacement received several months earlier. These physical challenges – combined with rheumatoid arthritis in her hips and knees – posed serious at-home safety challenges. As a result, Mrs. W was not able to complete her Activities of Daily Living (ADL’S) by herself. Safe at Home Solutions: Safe at Home recommended some adaptive equipment to enable Mrs. W. to dress by herself. Safe at Home recommended a long handle shoe horn, elastic shoe laces, a sock aide, and a reacher to eliminate the need for bending and reaching, thus enabling Mrs. W. to dress independently. Safe at Home also recommended a side rail for the bed, grab bars in the bathroom, and a shower chair for additional safety. Continued Care Recommendations: Safe at Home partnered with additional agencies for home-delivered meals. Safe at Home also recommended that since her son lives nearby daily check-in visits, if possible, would also be helpful to ensure home safety for his elderly parent. Continued Care Recommendations: In addition to the safety installations and general recommendations above, Safe at Home also helped obtain devices that used audio to communicate their function, such as a talking clock that would “speak” the correct time of day. |
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