Please forward your concerns and proposals to Chris Ralston at cralston209@gmail.com.
A group of concerned Members, the Traffic Calming Group, has been formed to address safety on our streets, sidewalks and parking areas.
It includes:
Bob Schultz of River Ridge CDD
Bob Twombly a neighborhood Board member
Larry Hannah of the Strategic Planning Committee
George Jakucki a bicyclist
Chris Ralston, a Board Member
The purpose of the committee is to gather input from our Members as to their concerns and suggested solutions to safety traffic issues. We will be covering motor vehicles of all types, bicycles, golf carts, runners, joggers and walkers. While we are gathering this information, we are going forward with publicizing information concerning proper operation of all modes of transportation and other safety related issues.
Please pay special attention to the Wave and reports from our General Manager, Eric Long.
Let us work together to make Pelican Sound a safe place for all of us to enjoy.
Unfortunately, many visitors pull their auto wheels up onto the grass with good intentions.
The Masters has sprinkler heads adjacent to the edge of gutters on the lawn. Parking on the grass will damage these sprinklers. Kindly let your guests know to keep their wheels on the pavement.
Every day, I scan the
obituaries to see why or how people die. You might call it morbid fascination,
but I attribute it to the combined influence of my age (77) and my profession
(health reporting). Obituaries give me ideas for Personal Health columns like
this one that might help others — and me — avoid a preventable ailment or
accident and premature demise.
One of
the most frequent causes of death listed for people my age, as well as some
younger and many older folks, is “complications from a fall,” the explanation
given for the death last month at 93 of
Russell Baker, the much-loved Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist and
columnist for The New York Times.
Falls
are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. Every
19 minutes in this country, an older person dies from a fall.
To be sure, nearly everyone falls now and then, and some falls
are unavoidable. But falling is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Most
age-related falls are preventable once you know why they happen and take steps
to minimize the risk for yourself, relatives and friends whose age or health
status renders them especially vulnerable.
More than a quarter of
individuals age 65 and older fall each year, and falling once doubles their
chances of falling again, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. A fall that may be run-of-the-mill for a young person (as in the
lyric “Pick yourself up, brush yourself off and start all over again”) can be
very dangerous for the elderly.
One fall in five
among older adults results in a serious injury, and older people are less able
to recover from the trauma physically and emotionally.
Although broken
bones are usually regarded as the most common serious consequence of falls,
even if no fracture occurs, a fall can result in irreversible harm to an
elderly person’s health, social interactions and psychological well-being.
A frequent
aftermath when older people fall is a heightened fear of falling, prompting
them to limit their activities and cause further physical decline, depression
and social isolation, which in turn can hasten death.
Many factors
common among older people can increase the risk of falling: medical and
orthopedic problems and the medications taken to treat them; physical changes
that impair balance, gait and muscle strength; sensory declines in vision,
hearing and awareness of body position; and pain that distorts body movements.
At the same time, there are
ways to minimize the chances of a dangerous fall, starting with regular
exercise to maintain leg strength, balance, endurance and coordination that can
help you “catch yourself” and avoid a fall if you should trip. Tai Chi is an
excellent, low-impact way to improve balance. Also, practice standing on one
foot when you brush your teeth, wash dishes or prep a recipe. You might also
get Carol Clements’s new book, “Better Balance for Life,” that details a
10-week plan for improving stability.
Get your eyes
checked at least once a year or more often if you have a gradually worsening
condition like cataracts or macular degeneration. Don’t delay recommended
cataract surgery; blurry vision can foster serious stumbles. Regularly update
your prescription for corrective lenses. Older people often do better with
single-focus lenses, which may mean two different pairs, one for distance and
another for reading, rather than one pair of progressive or bifocal lenses.
Also get regular
hearing checkups and consider hearing aids if needed. You don’t want to be
startled into a fall by someone or something approaching from behind.
Have your doctor
review all your medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, for their
ability to cause dizziness or drowsiness. Wherever possible, eliminate or lower
the dose of those that are potentially troublesome.
Dr. Leslie
Kernisan, a geriatrician in the San Francisco Bay Area, lists these medications
that may be especially likely to create a fall risk: psychoactive drugs like
benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax and Valium) and sleep medications like Ambien and
Lunesta that affect the brain; antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft and Elavil;
medications that lower blood pressure, including Flomax and related drugs used
to improve urination; medications that lower blood sugar, including metformin;
and anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl, “PM” versions of over-the-counter pain
relievers, the muscle relaxant Flexeril and the bladder relaxants Ditropan and
Detrol.
Last, but by no
means least, do a thorough evaluation of the fall risks in and outside your
home environment. Get rid of clutter — no books, papers, clothing or pet toys
left on the floor or furniture that partially obstructs paths to the bathroom,
bedroom, kitchen or front door. Install railings on stairways — and always use
them — and grab bars around the shower or tub and toilet.
Evaluate the
safety of floors and floor coverings, including throw rugs (a big no-no), loose
carpets and raised ledges between rooms. Use a top quality nonskid mat in the
shower. Repair all broken or uneven stairs and flooring. Keep electric and
phone cords off the floor. Wipe up all spills immediately.
Invest in the best lighting
you can afford. I leave several lights on 24/7 wherever darkness can spell
danger and I replaced those bulbs with long-lasting, money-saving and brighter
LEDs. At the very least, keep a night light on between the bedroom and bathroom
or place a flashlight next to your pillow or bed and use it if you get up in
the dark.
Make an
honest assessment of your footwear. Shoes should fit well and be comfortable
and supportive. Low heels and soles with good grips are essential. Throw away
or give away any footwear that may cause you to catch a foot. I recently
donated a brand-new pair of costly UGG boots for just this reason.
Never
walk around in socks or stockings. Wear slippers that are not slippery. Mine
are the last thing to come off when I get in bed and the first thing I put on
before my feet hit the floor in the morning or during the night. A barefoot or
sock-clad trek to the bathroom is a lousy idea. Two of my friends broke toes
that way.
Outdoors,
use footwear appropriate for the weather and surface conditions. And always
look where you’re going — not at your cellphone or a distraction across the
street. My rule of thumb: I walk looking about 10 feet ahead of me to
anticipate trip hazards. Anywhere and any time your stability is uncertain, use
a walking stick (or two), a cane or a walker.
Think you’ll be painfully embarrassed? Think how much more
humiliating and painful it will be if you fall.
Jane Brody is the Personal Health columnist, a
position she has held since 1976. She has written more than a dozen books
including the best sellers “Jane Brody’s Nutrition Book” and “Jane Brody’s Good
Food Book.”
A version of this article appears in print on Feb. 26, 2019, on Page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: A Few Steps to Minimize the Risk of Falls.
