“We value our local, trusted relationships and we constantly share our progress and ideas with partner businesses, exchanging industry intelligence and resources,” says Founder, Shivonne Mathison.

Senior Concierge Services and Sahara Funeral Service are two examples of complementary businesses that are part of Cura’s network of locally owned and female operated businesses. Since senior care takes a village, these businesses are happy to support each other in contributing to the quality of life for our residents in Fairfield County. We recently had a chat with both of their founders.

Liz Rolle
Founder, Senior Concierge Services

Why did you start Senior Concierge Services?

There is a gap in the market. Cura works with clients who need help with ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). The ‘wellderly’ who don’t need that kind of help or have graduated from it, often need a hand around the home just the same. Some tasks begin to feel too challenging. They don’t want to have to climb ladders, go out alone, understand new technologies, and more. We are here for them.

What makes it unique?

We serve this large segment of the older adult population – those who need help with paper taming, who prefer not to go out to the pool or the garden alone any more, who are ready to declutter decades of possessions, and so much more.

What services are most requested?

When I opened the business I did not anticipate the profound need for paper management. Even the daily mail can become too much to deal with. That’s our most frequent call. Even here, the needs vary: some just need mail sorting; others need bill paying; others need checks written to await a signature (their own or a loved one’s). We do the whole range of those tasks except for actual financial management which is beyond our scope.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for seniors in this area?

Most seniors are unhappy to give up driving, yet want to remain in their homes which are far from shopping and social engagements.

What are your favorite local senior resources and why?

I am deeply aware of what is missing for seniors and their care: a single place to find resources and to understand what is available. We often get calls from seniors or their children in need of something we do not offer. I do my very best to direct them to an appropriate resource for their need. We only age once – how can we possibly know all the different resources or how to figure out what kind of expert serves our narrow little concern? 

Why do you refer Cura?

I appreciate Shivonne’s personal care and concern for both her caregivers and her clients. Her social work training reflects her deep concern for people as individuals. She is very responsive. Her clients like to stay with Cura as long as they need care and come back to Cura when a new need arises.

For seniors with mobility issues, a PCA will make sure they are able to get around the house at their leisure and are trained in transferring techniques that are required as mobility issues increase. They also help with cooking, serving meals, and eating when needed. Outside of assisting with ADLs, a PCA will also help out around the house with household chores. These can include washing dishes and laundry, going grocery shopping for or with their client, reminding them to take medications, and tidying up around the house.

To learn more about Senior Concierge Services, check out their website, https://seniorconciergeservicesllc.com/

Sahara Farrugio
Founder, Death Cafe & Sahara Funeral Services

Why did you start Death Cafe?

I started (my branch) of Death Cafe at the Ferguson Library as a response to a need: a lack of space for exploration and discussion revolved around death. It is my hope and intention to bring individuals closer together to connect on higher levels than we are generally accustomed to here in this time and space.

Which topics come up most often?

The most popular theme is just expressing our thoughts and feelings around the things we see and experience day to day. Given this is a bit of a darker conversation, topics that often come up are forms of disposition, questioning certain traditions/customs, legalities surrounding death, etc.

How do you join the discussion?

Anyone can easily join the mailing list by emailing me @ Sahara@SmartFuneralPlanning.com

What do you think are the biggest challenges for seniors in this area?

The biggest challenge is the individuals own self-doubt and/or denial about their own mortality and how equipped their survivors may (or may not be) to handle that situation when the day inevitably arrives. 

What are your favorite local senior resources and why?

I have many friends in the elder care industry it would not be fair to single out some over others. I do referrals based on the evaluation of my clients needs and/or budget.

Why do you refer Cura?

I refer Cura Home Care knowing that every single person who calls will be treated with respect, dignity, and given the time and attention they deserve by Shivonne and her entire team.

Tell you tell us about your funeral home and what makes it unique?

I do not have a traditional funeral home and cannot assist individuals at the time of death. My service is uniquely set up to help people IN ADVANCE of their death. Ideally the client is of sound mind and body and is making the arrangements for themselves at least 1 year prior to any expected death. I sit with families and help them explore their options, while being sensitive to their overall needs and budget. I am essentially a broker for funeral homes all across the state of CT.

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In September of 2021, Shivonone Mathison presented facts and guidance to Hill House residents about how to achieve compassionate home care, as well as expert information about fall prevention and access to the different health insurance options. The talk was well-received and a flow of questions made the event engaging and interactive. “The landscape for Seniors is constantly changing, so a frequent review of senior resources, technology, opportunities and new challenges is critical for the best senior care,” says Shivonne Mathison.

Hill House is a non-profit independent living facility with 61 apartment congregate homes for well-elderly people of low to moderate income. Founded in 1978 in response to a need identified by the Greenwich Commission on Aging, its mission is to provide a comfortable home in a safe and stimulating environment that encourages older people to be independent, physically active, and involved with their families, friends and community.

Each apartment includes a living room, bedroom, small kitchen, full bathroom, wall-to-wall carpeting, heat and air conditioning controls, emergency call system, security intercom, and is handicapped accessible. In addition, there is a communal living room, dining room, activity room, laundry room, and storage area. Basic services are provided to help individuals who might be experiencing some frailty and would benefit from meal service, housekeeping, and 24-hour emergency coverage. While personal care or medical services are not provided, residents may arrange to have assistance from outside agencies.

For more information, go to TheHillhouse.org or call 203-637-3177

For a free Cura Home Care Consultation, contact us.

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In 2010, Congress passed the Elder Justice Act (EJA) as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. You can read more about the act here.

In CT, elder justice efforts aim to protect elders with diminished capacity while maximizing their autonomy.” Issues can range from age-based discrimination in the workplace to scams and frauds, elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. As a result, no one state agency can answer every question. The Consumer Assistance Unit of the Office of the Attorney General offers a hotline and refers matters to agencies across state government.
 
Call 1-860-808-5555 to access information. There is also an online complaint portal here.
 
The hotline is staffed by the Attorney General’s Office Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. If you are calling after hours, please leave a message.
 
Looking for more resources and services for older adults? View our community links.

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If you are new to senior devices, don’t worry! We will make this painless and straightforward. Who knew that technology could be such a lifesaver? Let’s take a dive into the world of reliable and high-quality technology that will improve daily life. 

Senior Technology to Keep You Safe and Comfortable At Home

Senior technology is continuously developed to ensure older adults can feel safe and comfortable in their homes. Home safety for seniors can be the difference between life or death. Choosing the correct medical technology to fit your loved one’s life is crucial for meeting their unique needs.

Medical Alert Technology

Medical alert devices save lives every day. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 36 million older adults fall a year, and one out of five falls results in a severe injury. Here are a few devices worth checking out to minimize impact of falls and other mishaps.

Medical Gaurdian – https://www.medicalguardian.com/

A lightweight device that clips to clothing and syncs with a wristband or necklace. They provide advanced location monitoring via LTE, WiFi & GPS.

MobileHelp Wired Home – https://buy.mobilehelp.com/

MobileHelp’s monitoring system has 24/7 access to urgent response agents thoroughly trained for multiple medical emergencies. This medical device is a landline-based medical alert system with no cellular signal required. You can be up to 600 feet away with your neck pendant and be able to alert your operator with a click of a button.

A simpler monitoring option is the SOS SmartWatch with touch button 2-way communication, an activity tracker, and GPS tracking. https://www.bayalarmmedical.com/medical-alert-system/sos-smartwatch

Phoenix Watch is also impressive and designed for those who want a wider array of features, https://www.igpsphoenixwatch.com/.

The Phoenix Watch Phone is a fully-featured, live GPS tracking and voice/text communication device. With the accompanying app, a free iOS/Android download, guardians have access to a slew of great features:

• Live GPS Tracking
• Geo Fence to Create Safe zones and Danger Zones (virtual fence)
• Voice & Text Messaging
• Alexa Assist
• SmartWatch virtual personal assistant
• Take Me Home Mapping so the never get lost
• Two-way Voice Calling

It has a sleek comfortable interface and colorful design. Your loved one will enjoy wearing it just as much as you enjoy the reassurance that you can easily contact, locate, monitor, and protect them, anywhere, anytime.

Notifying Refrigerator Safety Technology

If you are a caretaker, there is no way to know what your loved one has eaten, so developers have produced a camera that can be stored in any refrigerator. This notifying refrigerator safety technology allows you to be aware of when they are eating and when they begin to run out of food.

Fridge Cam

Fridge cam is a wireless refrigerator camera controlled from an easy-to-use app available on Apple IOS and android. Fridge cam recognizes what food items are in the fridge, takes snapshots when the fridge door is opened, and can allow you to track which foods are expired. Never again will you have to worry about if your loved one has eaten today!

Medication Reminders

As we get older, we tend to forget little tasks even if we do them every day. Your loved one failing to take their medication can frighten you, especially when you are not there to remind them. Try using technology that reminds your loved ones to take their medication.

MedSmart Automatic Pill Dispenser

This simple to use e-pill monitoring system notifies you remotely if your loved one didn’t take their mediation. A built-in alarm reminds seniors living to take their medication. If their medication is not taken in 60 minutes during their scheduled time, you will be notified by phone, email, or text.

Stove Reminders

Everyone benefits from a stove reminder. It is easy to forget that you are cooking, especially elders with early on-set dementia. Stove reminders allow your loved ones to continue doing what they love while staying safe!

Wallflower Smart Plug

The Wallflower Smart Plug will convert any stove into a smart stove. All you do is plug it into the wall and connect the stove in your home. If your stove does not shut off after a long time, you will be notified. You’ll get 24/7 monitoring of your stove from anywhere, allowing your loved ones to continue their passion for cooking.

The Alzstore Automatic Oven Control

This easy to install device offers motion detection and an automatic shut-off for stoves. After 5, 10 or 15 minutes of no movement in the kitchen this system will shut off the stove and turning it back on is as easy as pushing a button.

Mobile Apps for Seniors

If you are looking for digital memory games to improve memory and maintain your tact, here are a few favorite apps. These are easy to use and entertaining. Trust us. These games are fun despite anyone’s age!

Lumosity Mobile

The Lumosity app offers a unique intellectual experience based on each user. This game is available for Apple IOS, Android, and PC. Before you begin, they give you a baseline test to produce the best plan for you. The app provides entertaining games while promoting spatial processing, reasoning, and memory. You are improving your mind while having fun!

Price: $80 / year

Scrabble GO

Who doesn’t like a good game of Scrabble? The Scrabble Go app is available for Apple IOS and Android devices. Scrabble Go is a wonderful tool that can keep you connect with your loved ones while working on your critical thinking, memory, and interactions with others. When you use this app, you can always stop and pick up where you left off later!

Price: Free

The Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout

Getting anyone to exercise can be difficult, but it does not have to be anymore! If you are looking for an exercise app made for seniors, then look no further. Johnson & Johnson official 7-minute Workout is available on Apple IOS or Android devices. These workouts are short and easy, allowing people at any fitness level to get their bodies moving!

Price: Free

MindMate

MindMate is available on Apple IOS, Android, and PC. MindMate is all about keeping the mind and body healthy. This app has digital memory games that can help improve cognitive capacity, problem-solving, speed, and attention.

Price: Free

Final Thoughts

Senior home technology can improve the lives of older adults. Even though we love our older family members and friends, we cannot be there every second of the day. If you or your loved one needs more comfort, safety and entertainment in life, take a look at the latest devices. There is something for everyone.

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Older adults are either active or inactive. The active member of the senior community will walk, work, get in and out of chairs, or take an exercise class. But their bodies do not always respond the way they would like. For the inactive member of the senior community, slips and falls are generally caused by illness or injury before the fall. Ways to treat seniors following the fall and other ways to prevent the fall from repeating are discussed later in the article. Let’s first take a look at where injury occurs.

Injuries at home

At home, many features of daily life can become dangerous as we age. As a senior’s eyesight becomes impaired they may experience dizziness or lightheadedness and ultimately fail to see obstructions in their sight-path. Medication taken by seniors can also cause a slip and fall. Some drugs cause the following symptoms that can contribute to falls: loss of appetite, nausea, vertigo, numbness or tingling, dehydration, pneumonia, pressure sores among other ailments.

Injuries outside the home

Outside the home, the dangers are just as numerous and often unforeseen. Stairs can be uneven, missing parts, or rickety and unstable with no railing. Once down the stairs, the sidewalk is now their nemesis. An uneven or broken sidewalk and slick sidewalks from puddles or ice, can cause a senior to fall. And that is directly outside your home. The dangers are multiple.

If a senior falls, what happens next?

Since falls are one of the main reasons that seniors are injured or die, treatment directly after the fall is critical. First, take your senior to the doctor. Diagnostic tests may help find the why of the fall. Second, determine other contributors to the fall by looking at factors such as poor health, poor fitness, problem medications, chronic disease, surgical procedures, and environmental and behavioral hazards. By evaluating these factors, plus observing and listening to the patient, you can shape a plan to recover and avoid future falls.

After a fall, senior care should be based on the injury and their surroundings. If the patient needs a cane or a walker, teach the patient how to use it properly. If the patient needs to continue medication, explain what the medication is for, what it does, and what to look out for in terms of side effects that might lead to a fall. If the patient needs to have their home modified for safety, do so by contacting specialized contractors and equipment providers.

Senior Home Modifications

Senior home modification is like baby-proofing your house. Modification can include touch operated light switches and night lights at both ends of hallways, stairwells, and bathrooms. If the senior must go to the bathroom at night, make arrangements next to the bed to avoid moving about at night. Otherwise, raise the toilet seat to help alleviate any danger. Make sure that the hand-railings throughout the house are safe for use. Make sure chair heights enable easier sitting and standing for the senior. Placing furniture in the lines of sight and ensuring walkways are not obstructed are also important steps. But dangers outside of the furniture exist. Inside the kitchen, place all the frequently used items in lower cabinets within easy reach of the senior. In addition, hiring carpenters and contractors that are skilled in senior modifications can help. They can alter sinks, shelving, stairs, walkways and outdoor spaces to improve ease of use and safety.

Risk Prevention Outside the Home

Preventing falls from happening outside the home is just as important. On the steps leading into the house, place reflective color strips to light the steps and pathways. Make sure that steps are sturdy and free from obstruction with no breaks, and that railings are secure. Also, ensure the lighting outside the house is motion activated and bright enough to help navigate the pathway in the dark hours of the night.

Other Resources

If you live in Fairfield County, Connecticut, you can go to the following webpages:
https://pale-riddle.staging.mysites.io/work/community-links/
https://www.seniorgotoguide.com/stamford/ which offer information and numbers to assist the local senior community with housing, activities, tax help, medical bill assistance, and utility assistance. You can also access senior discounts and transportation services such as Silver Source, Inc., Access Ambulance Company Inc., and others.

In conclusion, seniors who need help and education about falling prevention, safety, and home modifications have resources at their fingertips. If you need help making a senior’s life safer, please reach out to Cura Home Care Services. Safety is a central part of our mission.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Solitto, Mario. “7 Things That Cause the Elderly to Fall” National Council on Aging (NCOA). https://www.agingcare.com/falls-in-elderly-people-133953. Web access on July 18, 2021.
2. Am Fam Physician. “What Causes Falls in the Elderly? How Can I Prevent a Fall?” https://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0401/p2173. Web access on July 18, 2021.
3. CDC. “Keep on Your Feet-Preventing Older Adult Falls.” https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/older-adult-falls/index.html/ Web access on July 18, 2021.
4. Daily Caring. “6 Age-Related Changes That Increase Senior Fall Risk.” https://dailycaring.com/why-do-seniors-fall-down/ Web access on July 18, 2021.
5. Basaraba, Sharon. “Reasons Why Elderly People May Fall.” Very Well Health. Medically reviewed by Elizabeth Molina Ortiz, MD, MPH on July 20, 2000. https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-do-older-people-fall-2224159/. Web access on July 18, 2021.
6. Rubenstein, Laurence Z, MD. “Falls in Older People”. Merck Manual Consumer Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/older-people’s-health-issues/fall-in-older-people/falls-in-older-people/. April 2021. Web access on July 18, 2021.
7. World Health Organization. “Falls.” https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls/. April 26. 2021. Web access on July 18, 2021.
8. National Council on Aging. NCOA. “Get the Facts on Falls Prevention.” https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-falls-prevention/. July 14, 2021. Web access on July 18, 2021.
9. Bayada. “Why Are Falls So Dangerous for the Elderly? https://blog.bayada.com/be-healthy/why-are-falls-so-dangerous-for-the-elderly/ Sept.30, 2016. Web access on July 18, 2021.
10. National Institute on Aging. “Fall-Proofing Your Home.” https://www.nia.nih.gov/healt/fall-proofing-your-home/ NIH. Web access on July 18, 2021.
11. Theodis, Phyllis. “Fall prevention in frail elderly nursing home residents: a challenge to case management: part II.” National Library of Medicine-National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubMed.gov. https://pwomen.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15076837/ PMID: 15076837. DOI: 10.1097/0012934-200401000-00007.
12. “Senior Go to Guide: A Directory of Helpful Information for Seniors and Their Families. https://www.seniorgotoguide.com/stamford/.
13. Westchester Family Care. “Local Resources for Seniors and Caregivers in Fairfield County, Connecticut.” https://www.westchesterfamilycare.com/resources/ct-local-resources/. Web access on July 18, 2021.
14. Kernisan, Leslie MD, MPH. “Preventing Falls: 10 Types of Medication to Review: You’re Concerned About Falling.” https://betterhealthwhileaging.net/preventing-falls-10-types-of-medications-to-review/. Updated April 2020. Web access on July 19, 2021.

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