Have you ever tried to finish a home improvement project without using the right tools? How did it turn out? As a new homeowner, I’ve learned the results aren’t pretty.

Along the same lines, using the right equipment can enable people with certain physical limitations to safely accomplish every-day tasks in the home. If you use any of these common household items for these (or similar) reasons, allow me to share with you a few safer options.

1) Avoid holding onto the towel rack to enter and exit the bathtub or shower.…

One of the wonderful benefits of being an adult day center affiliated with VNSNY CHOICE (http://2012.vnsnychoice.org/) is that we have access to experts to provide health education.  Recently, VNSNY CHOICE Rehabilitation Consultants gave excellent Falls Prevention presentations to seniors in our dementia program. Although one might think that people with dementia may have difficulty understanding the information, we’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much the seniors learned and what good questions they’ve been asking about this important topic.

Since the presentations, we have seen noticeable changes in behavior that are helping our…

It’s no surprise that many successful athletes have been able to prolong their careers by taking care of their bodies. At age 42, relief pitcher Mariano Riveria who is famous for his conditioning regimen continues to help the New York Yankees win close games. He also happens to be their oldest player in a sport that values youth.

Equally if not more impressive are the elderly I work with who continue to take care of their bodies by staying physically active. Here are some of the ways I have observed how…

A few months ago, a friend of mine asked what I would choose to do if I could work in a different field. Am I right if I assume that many of us have tossed around the same question? To provide you with a little background, I have wanted to be a physical therapist since my senior year of high school, and after graduation attended a combined undergraduate/graduate program at Boston University. It’s the only field I’ve known.

Now back to the question, my immediate reply to my friend’s question…

Is there anything we can learn about falls prevention from the sports fan that is glued to his TV? You may be surprised, but there is one thing I can think of.

Here’s the scenario: the big game everyone has been waiting for is about to start, and one second of action can’t be missed. Now let’s examine what items surround our sports fan sitting in his living room.

Things you may find:

• Remote Control: It’s too risky to allow someone to change the channel.
• Food and Beverage: Nutritional requirements need to be sustained, right?
• Phone:…

When I first became an RN in a hospital setting I would ‘moonlight’ as a visiting nurse in Upstate NY. I enjoyed the variety in my caseload and would meet families in varying levels of care need. In the wake of the recent earthquake/hurricane, I recall some significant hurricanes in the late 1980s that took out power for a week at a time. Although most patients had their homes equipped with some alternate power, many did not. This left them pretty much stranded with no way to keep insulin cold…

Finding a good pair of shoes is priceless. During my teen years I was one of those sneaker fanatics. I admit to spending hours at the local shoe store combing through aisles and aisles of footwear in search of the perfect sneaker.

Perhaps I was hoping to jump as high, run as fast, and play ball like my favorite athletes. Looking back, the closest I got to the pros were the upper deck seats.

But I wasn’t so far off, good shoes make a huge difference. For instance, older adults who wear…

One of the keys to success at a Day Center is teamwork, and an essential part of that team is the home health aide. Not only are our aides trained in personal care, but they are also skilled in identifying issues that may affect a person’s ability to function in everyday life. Especially for our participants with dementia, it’s critical to observe behaviors and report issues because the participants may not be able to articulate a problem themselves. Since the aides spend so much time with our seniors, they are…