According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), falls are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death among senior adults ages 65 and older today. According to statistics, one out of three seniors falls every year, and two-thirds of them will fall again within six months. Additionally, the risk of falling increases with each decade of life.
We’ve all heard the term, "sandwich generation" – that segment of the population caught in the middle of taking care of their children while also acting as caregivers for their aging parents.
According to gerontologists and other senior care experts, how senior adults feel about their safety and security has a significant impact on their self-confidence and overall outlook on life. Given the importance of how older adults’ view their quality of life, it is essential to understand the factors that affect their sense of security and well-being.
What Affects Seniors’ Sense of Security?
Older adults’ sense of security can be affected by a variety of factors, experts say, including:
As anyone caring for a loved one with dementia can tell you, caregiving responsibilities require considerable amounts of time, energy, compassion and devotion. As a result, caregivers sometimes give up the things they enjoy most in life such as summer vacations and travel.
However, according to dementia care experts, that doesn’t always have to be the case.
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. It is an ideal time to pause and reflect on the millions of Americans who are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and the individuals who are caring for them. It is also a time for caregivers, friends and families to show their support and get involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Why? Because, today, Alzheimer’s affects 47.5 million people worldwide – with 7.7 million new cases diagnosed every year. It is the fifth-leading cause of death for those over 65.
