Old So What

  You know you’re old when you trip over your own cane.  Something which is not that funny when you actually do it, so go to YouTube’s video on how to properly use a cane. It’s well worth knowing if only for your own survival!

  When you use a cane or a walker that you know what you’re doing.  I can tell you that you don’t from personal experience.  BUT there are videos out there (try YouTube) that can help. They can give you tips that will keep you from tripping all over yourself, as I almost did until I watched the demonstration.  Still, it is easy to trip.  So, take your time in this and everything you do.  After all, what's the rush?  You have all the time in your world.

  About 36,000,000 older adults fall every year. Well, this didn’t just happen. And I think that the brain tries to eliminate the memory of pain, but to be honest, it actually wasn’t as painful as I would have expected. Now having said that… After I fell down the cellar steps, not because something in my body snapped or through lack of calcium, but simply because I reached for a banister that wasn’t as long as I thought, and I had at the time lost my sense of balance due to dehydration. I laid there thinking that I hope I could get up again quickly so I could forget the whole unfortunate event.   But no such luck because any movement on my part led to an unexpected sharp pain. I looked up and saw this spider looking back from near the stairs, surveying the scene and looking as if it was considering the possibilities. Before it got too far into its plans, I decided to get up. I couldn’t.   So, sitting up was the next option. No one was coming back to my house for...

  All I can say is:   get this if you’re tired of your walker making a lot of embarrassing noise. They work! They come in different sizes to fit the width of the shaft of the walker. The box says that these optimize walker performance & stability. You’re going to have to measure the shaft; order this from Amazon OR wherever you choose; and then when they arrive, attach the set of two to the rear legs of the walker. It’s really easy.   If I can do it, so can you! Please Note:   The curved end of the skis should face forward to keep any rugs down. And, of course, the skis replace the plastic tips that originally came on the walker itself. No, I don’t get anything for this recommendation to you except that the gentleman who stopped me outside the post office to tell me, would be glad that I’m passing this tip along to you. Now go out and tell someone else.

  I am definitely NOT a therapist or medical technician of ANY kind. The advice I offer is simply what works for me—coming from a past history of falling many times (including down the cellar steps [and breaking my hip in the process]). How I Try NOT To Fall: C lear the area around your bed so that it’s a No-Fall zone. Do not turn around in any way that is not SLOW, this includes full and half circles. Use a bed rail for adults (secured by your mattress).    When getting out of bed at all times, hold on to the bed rail, rise then wait   Wait to get your balance, your equilibrium, your sense of where you are and where you are going. Put all pet toys in one corner of every room (away from where you walk) OR if your pet moves them around, put them away at night. Be aware of where you cat or dog, or whatever, is.   (Under your feet or about to trip you is not a good location.) Have night lights as you go.   Remove small rugs.   It’s either them or you....