Fall Prevention and Personal Safety Tips

Falls in the home are one of the most common causes for people having to leave their homes.  Here are a few tips and modifications to make your home safer, more convenient, and fall-proof:

• Arrange furniture so it doesn’t block walkways
• Be sure that sofas and chairs are high enough for easy transfer
• Keep floors  free of clutter
• Coil or tape down cords and wires close to the wall; put in another outlet if needed
• In a multi-level home, explore making your first floor live-in ready
• Remove throw rugs or use non-slip backing
• Reduce and avoid shiny surfaces
• Install handrails on both sides of the stairwell
• Install an overhead light with glow-in-the-dark light switches  at the top and bottom of stairs
• Attach non-skid rubber treads to non-carpeted stairs
• Place night lights in hallways and bathrooms
• Keep lighting levels the same throughout your home – high contrast can increase fall risk
• Post emergency contacts in a visible location and ensure that your phones are easily accessible
• If you must use a step stool in the kitchen, get one with a bar to hold on to
• Keep a fire extinguisher by the stove

Bathroom

• Place a non-slip rubber mat or self-stick strips in the tub or shower and on the floor
• Set your hot water heater at 120 degrees or lower
• Install grab bars inside the tub/shower and next to the toilet
• Install a handheld shower, elevated toilet seat, shower chair or tub transfer bench as needed

Medications

• Share your current medication list with doctors and pharmacist to avoid potential side effects that could lead to a fall
• Store medications in their original container
• Use a medication pillbox
• When possible, fill all medications through the same pharmacy
• Check expiration dates of all medications periodically

Personal Safety

• Have an emergency plan for fire, break-in, etc.
• Consider an emergency alert button
• Create a first aid kit that’s available, accessible, and current
• Install and regularly check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Keep flashlights available and working
• Store hazardous materials safely

For more tips or help fall-proofing your home, contact SCI’s professional care managers at (912) 236-0363 or visit www.seniorcitizens-inc.org

A Great Way to Remember our Veterans

There is no denying that each of us owes our service men and women an unpayable debt. Too often we see them returning home with special needs or developing needs as the years progress. It is for this reason that Senior Citizens, Inc. (SCI) began the Veterans Fund.

The Veterans Fund serves veterans who need assistance living at home regardless of their age. This can be a hot lunch; assistance with bathing; or someone to clean house, do laundry, run errands or just be a companion. SCI has used the fund to pay for a Geriatric Care Manager who worked with a Vietnam War veteran to get the veterans’ assistance he needed to pay his bills and arranged for long-term care in his home. We have provided meals through our Meals On Wheels program, both ongoing for one veteran and to another who needed meals as he recovered from surgery. A World War II veteran has an aide who drives her on errands twice a week – keeping her active and in control of her own life.

Your time can also make a big difference. You could deliver meals and spend a few moments just visiting. Would your church group like to build a ramp so that a veteran with mobility issues can live at home? How about making special holiday cards letting veterans know they are appreciated? These are all great ways to say “thank you.”

If you know a veteran who needs assistance, have them call SCI and ask about the Veterans Fund (if financial need exists) or our private pay SAGE Services. 

For more information, please contact SCI at (912) 236-0363 or visit www.seniorcitizens-inc.org

 

The Fun is in the Bag! 

2^nd Annual Cornhole Classic 

to benefit Senior Citizens, Inc.

 

What can you do with a couple of boards and some bean bags? Play Cornhole of course! The game is quickly becoming a favorite in backyards and tailgate parties all across the country and on Friday, June 21^st, you have a chance to get in on the fun.

On Friday, June 21, teams will showcase their bag-throwing technique at Coach’s Corner to participate in the 2^nd Annual Cornhole Classic Tournament benefitting Senior Citizens, Inc.

The cost is $100 per team of two and there will be a cash payout to the top five teams!  All ages and skill levels are welcome. Entry to the tournament also includes a fish fry, all the beer you can drink, and a concert by the Clear Daze band.

Even if you don’t play, come out and support this great cause. Tickets for dinner, drinks, and the Clear Daze concert are just $30.00 per person.

Grab a partner and head to Coach’s Corner at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 21 where the fun is in the bag!! The tournament begins at 6 p.m., followed by the fish fry and concert at 7 p.m.. Teams are limited. Call (912) 236-0363 or visit www.seniorcitizens-inc.org for more information.

The mission of Senior Citizens, Inc. is to help people age successfully. For more than fifty years, the non-profit organization has worked to provide direct services that allow seniors to remain in the homes of their choice for as long as possible. Services are provided throughout five counties in southeast Georgia and include home-delivered meals, in-home support, senior companions, senior activity centers, adult day care and The Learning Center.

If You Go:
Cornhole Classic: Thursday, June 21 at Coach’s Corner (3016 E. Victory Drive)
5 p.m. Practice and registration

6 p.m. - Tournament begins
7 p.m. - Fish Fry, all the beer you can drink, and Clear Daze concert

$100 per team (two players)
Cash payout to the Top 5 Teams!
or
$30 per person for dinner, beer, and Clear Daze Concert

Teams are limited. Call Karen at (912) 236-0363 x114 to reserve your spot or email marketing@seniorcitizens-inc.org

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile brings a new meaning to the term “Meals on Wheels” in Savannah!

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile surprised Savannah seniors by delivering Meals on Wheels today! The 27-foot-long iconic vehicle arrived at Senior Citizens, Inc., located at 3025 Bull Street, at 10:30 a.m. this morning to a welcoming crowd of staff, board members, clients, and friends.

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Brand Ambassadors or “Hotdoggers”, Hot Diggity Holly and Lots of Ketchup Lisa, graciously make the rounds in West Savannah delivering a hot meal to a handful of homebound seniors through our Meals on Wheels program. No one could help but smile when they saw “Big Buns” rolling down the street.

What started as a unique way to advertise in the 1930’s has evolved into an American icon. Holly “Hot Diggity” Nelson and Lisa “Lots of Ketchup” Rosenblum are spending a week in Savannah as part of their job serving as Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Brand Ambassadors.

Fresh out of college, these kids are among 12 “Hotdoggers” who spend a year travelling the country in one of six Wienermobiles promoting Oscar Mayer products and lending a helping hand in local communities.

“The Meals on Wheels Association of America is so fortunate to have national support from major corporations like Oscar Mayer, said Karen Daiss, Director of Corporate Advancement for Senior Citizens, Inc. “We are thrilled that the Oscar Mayer staff chose to spend their morning with Senior Citizens, Inc. learning more about our Meals on Wheels program and helping to deliver a hot meal and a smile to our deserving clients.”

“The best part of my job is meeting thousands of people each week and watching their expressions when they see the Wienermobile driving down the road,” said Nelson.

Through its Meals on Wheels program, Senior Citizens, Inc. delivers more than 1,800 hot lunches daily to seniors throughout a five-county area of coastal Georgia, while at the same time offering them a friendly midday visit.

The mission of Senior Citizens, Inc. is to help people age successfully. For more than fifty years, the organization has worked to provide direct services that allow seniors to remain in the homes of their choice for as long as possible. Services are provided throughout coastal Georgia and include home-delivered meals, in-home care, geriatric care management, senior activity centers, adult daytime care and The Learning Center.

View more photos of the Wienermobile in action on our Facebook Page!