Fixing up seniors’ homes to help them age in place
BALTIMORE — Alberta Hough struggles to feed herself a snack, her arms shaking badly from Parkinson’s disease. Days earlier, the 84- year- old fell while eating, sliding off her kitchen chair.
The rest of Hough’s day isn’t much easier to navigate. She wobbles into a bathtub with no grab bar. Her feet catch on damaged floor tiles. Part of the banister she needs to steady herself on the stairs has pulled out of the wall. At the back door, a rickety wooden ramp no longer supports the scooter that helps her get around.
The environment in which you live can be as disabling as a disease, and too often, older Americans wind up in a nursing home not because they’re super- sick but because they can’t get through their days safely at home.
Now a major research project will bring handymen, occupational therapists and nurses into the homes of 800 low- income seniors in Baltimore to test if some inexpensive fix- ups and strategies for daily living can keep them independent longer, and save millions in taxpayer dollars spent on nursing home care.
“Very small changes can make a big difference,” said Sarah Szanton, a Johns Hopkins University associate nursing professor who leads the project. “We’re not saying, ‘ What’s your blood pressure?’ We’re focusing on function: What do they want to do?”
Losing independence is a leading fear as people age. But a recent poll shows that too few comprehend the changes in lifestyle needed to offset the chronic illnesses and gradual slowdown that hit just about everyone in the 70s, 80s and beyond.
Asked about their choice of living situation when they’re older, Americans 40 and over say their top priorities are a onelevel home with no stairs, that’s close to their children and medical care, according to the poll by the AP- NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Chances are, enough.
For Hough, No. 1 is feeding herself without everything tumbling off the fork.
“I’m shaking all the time,” she quietly told Hopkins occupational therapist Allyson Evelyn- Gustave.
Hough’s other priority is not falling, and stairs are only one of her home’s hazards.
To Hopkins’ Szanton, bridging the gap between what older adults are able to do and what their homes allow them to do is key to maintaining independence.
The Capable study aims to prove how. During 10 home visits over four months, the Hopkins team is tailoring interventions — including about $ 1,100 in home repairs or modifications provided for free — to help low- income seniors who are having trouble caring for themselves.
Drills buzzed in Hough’s house as carpenters installed a new banister and added grab bars and a raised toilet seat in the bathroom. They replaced patches of flooring to prevent trips and prepared to tackle the ramp.
As for eating, Evelyn- Gustave recommended a little- known tool: utensils and cups that are specially weighted to counter Hough’s tremors.
“It’ll be easier for you to hold,” she promised.
The set of utensils costs only about $ 20, one of the affordable tips the study is generating. Hough’s daughter had thought the only solution was an aide to feed her mother, which the older woman hates.
“I always said I wouldn’t let my mom go to a nursing home,” said Gloria J. Hawks, 66, who is determined to care for her mother in the house the two share.
The Capable project — it stands for Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders — is being closely
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be watched by Medicaid officials in other states as a way to coordinate care and improve the functional problems that lead to pricey, and sometimes preventable nursing home admissions. Today, it’s difficult for Medicaid patients to get these services.
With more than $ 8 million in research money from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the project goes beyond home repair for health. It starts with a full- scale assessment of each participant’s needs.
In one home, a Hopkins nurse discovered that an 82- year- old woman was taking all of her 26 daily medications at once instead of staggered throughout the day, leaving her disoriented and sedentary until she became too weak to get out of bed without help.
First the nurse fixed the medication schedule. Then the occupational therapist taught the woman leg- strengthening exercises and installed $ 30 steel risers to make it easier for her to get in and out of bed. Add new banisters, and soon she was moving around on her own.
Whether it is the cost or emotional ties, many people grow old in the same home where they spent their younger, more agile years. An AARP survey in 2010 found nearly 90 percent of seniors wanted to remain in their current home for as long as possible.
Yet government figures show nearly 1 in 5 seniors living in the community have trouble with at least one activity of daily living, such as walking or bathing.
Those physical limitations become more difficult with doorways too narrow for walkers, toilets that are lower than chairs, and kitchen counters too tall to sit while cooking. Plus, nearly onethird of older adults experience a fall every year, and most who are injured fell inside the home, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“You don’t think about that stuff,” said Hattie Watties, who can’t imagine leaving her Baltimore home of 36 years, that’s near children and grandchildren. “You just do what you have to.”
For Watties, 74, that meant climbing onto kitchen counters to reach too- high cabinets. Steep, dark stairs to the basement laundry only had a partial railing, so she threw clothes down and inched her way after them.
No more: Carpenter Tyrone White lowered Watties’ cabinets to a comfortable reach, installed railings, and showed how an energysaving compact fluorescent light bulb provided more light than a regular bulb in the dim stairway.
In homes where it’s even darker, White sticks motion- sensing lights by each step to show where to aim your foot. They’re less than $ 15 for a two- pack and run on batteries, so no rewiring is needed.
The work that perhaps has the biggest impact seen so far is a double railing for stairs lets people rest their weight on both sides.
The handymen, employed by the urban service corps Civic Works, also insist on installing carbon monoxide monitors, which have detected leaking gas stoves in some homes.
Do these solutions really save money?
The four- month intervention costs about $ 4,000 per participant, including the home modifications and specialists’ salaries. The average cost for nursing home care in the U. S. is $ 6,700 a month, so even a modest delay could add up fast. Szanton will track participants long term and, based on results from an earlier pilot test of 40 high- risk seniors, hopes to delay nursing home entry by up to a year in this frail population.
For families, perhaps the bigger question is how long the solutions will last. Evelyn- Gustave teaches families to brainstorm options as new challenges crop up.
“We can’t be there forever. They need the skill to carry on,” she said.
BISMARCK — Lannie Holt Allen, 93, of Bismarck, died Saturday, July 6, 2013, in Hot Springs. She was born Oct. 29, 1919, in Amity, the daughter of James T. and Louella Garner Hancock.
She was a member of Pleasant Hill Church of Christ.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Wallis Holt and Thurman Allen; and her son, Wendell Holt.
Survivors are two daughters, Wanda Richerson and husband Dean of Bismarck, and Carolyn Welch and husband John of Crossett; one sister, Marie Prince of Bismarck; a daughter- in- law, Sue Holt of El Dorado; two stepsons, Jerry Allen and his wife Carla, and Terry Allen and his wife Dee, all of Bismarck; three stepdaughters, Hilda Ochoa and husband Benito of Texarkana, Evon Teague and DeWana Allen both of Bismarck; seven grandchildren; seventeen great- grandchildren; seven great- great- grandchildren; six step- grandchildren and six step- great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 3 p. m. Tuesday at RugglesWilcox Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Van Glidewell officiating.
Burial will be in Bismarck Cemetery.
Visitation will be 2 p. m. until service time Tuesday at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Bismarck Pentecostal Church.
Sign online guest book at http:// www. ruggleswilcox. com.
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MALVERN — Wilma Opal Watts Brady, 91, of Malvern, died Sunday, July 7, 2013, at HSC Medical Center.
Survivors include son, Johnny Brady ( Betty) of Buckville; daughter, Frances Fite ( Earnest) of Malvern; grandchildren, Darren Fite, Ronnie Brady, Kelly Black, Kim Magness and Cynthia Crabb; seven great- grandchildren; special nieces, Trish Miller, Nealetta Gordon and Judy Lingo and special friend, Odie Shepherd.
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Graveside service will be at 10 a. m. Wednesday, July 10, at Shadowlawn Cemetery with Brother Gerald Williams officiating.
The family will be at 5918 Leau Fraiz Road in Malvern.
Arrangements are by Regency Funeral Home. You may sign the guest book at http:// www. regencyfuneralhome. com.
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Cheri D. Cordeiro, 66, of Hot Springs, died Friday, July 5, 2013.
Born in Visalia, Calif., Cheri lived most of her days in Tulare, Calif., where she worked for the Tulare District Hospital for 13 years. A true California Girl, Cheri’s favorite spot was Pismo Beach, where she could spend time with her family.
She relocated to Hot Springs in 2002, and her vibrant personality led her into working with both Wal- Mart and National Park Medical Center. A talented artist, Cheri loved to create beautiful jewelry and enjoyed knitting for her loved ones. She could be frequently making puzzles, one of her favorite hobbies.
Predeceased by her parents Marian Hutchinson and Keith Evans, of California, Cheri leaves behind her loving sister, Toni Evans, of Colorado; children, Denise Padilla ( Mark), Manuel Cordeiro ( Leticia), Gina Gomes ( Andre), Sommer Rushing ( Shane), Darron Duran and 10 grandchildren. Services will be private. Guest register is at http:// www. caruth- hale. com.
William R. Gillmore, 84, of Hot Springs, passed away Saturday, July 6, 2013. Service to be announced. Arrangements are by Hot Springs Funeral Home.
LITTLE ROCK — Glenn Randall Lehman passed on to be with his savior Jesus Christ July 5, 2013 in Little Rock. He was 82.
Glenn was born and raised in Fayetteville, the son of Ralph and Lillie Lehman. He had one sister, Francis, and two brothers, Mack and Jack, all of whom preceded him in death.
Glenn is survived by three daughters, Sue Farrer ( Larry Tackett) of Fayetteville; Phyllis Isham ( Joe Isham) of Little Rock; Elizabeth Hollenberg ( Henry Hollenberg III) of West Monroe, La.; son, David Lehman ( Sandy Lehman) of Little Rock; two granddaughters, Teresa Reynolds of Little Rock, and Paula Reynolds of Fayetteville.
Glenn’s passions were house boating on Lake Ouachita and riding horses. He was a funeral director for Griffin Leggett, Healey & Roth for 27 years. He was the maintenance manager for Pinecrest Memorial Park for 26 years. He is at peace with our Lord.
A visitation service will be held at 10 a. m. on Thursday, July 11, 2013, at Pinecrest Memorial Park, Alexander, with graveside services to follow at 11 a. m. at Pinecrest Memorial Park.
Please make any memorials to a church or charity of your choice.
Arrangements are Rock Funeral Home.
Glenn’s online guestbook may be signed at http:// www. littlerockfuneralhome. com.
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Little First Baptist Church.
Burial will be in the Mount Ida Cemetery under the direction of Davis- Smith Funeral Home, Glenwood.
Pallbearers will be James Demby, Nathan McLane, Temple Lacefield, John Henderson, Bobby Joe Irons and Roy Black.
Honorary pallbearers will be Greg Amerson, Richard Demby, Greg O’Neal, Joe Demby, Hugh Demby, Glenn Smith and the nurses and staff of the Montgomery County Nursing Home and Assisted Living.
Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, PO Box 87, Mount Ida, AR 71957.
Guest registry is at www. davis- smith. com.
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PEARCY — Patricia D. Scott, 35, of Pearcy, died Thursday, July 4, 2013.
She was born April 3, 1978, in Camden. On June 3, 2013, she was married to Frank Scott.
She was a loving wife and friend and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Survivors include her husband, Frank Scott of Pearcy; her son, Patrick Robertson of Camden; her daughter, Heather Robertson of Camden; two brothers, Samuel Waeltz of Indiana and Michael Hughes of Pearcy; and one sister, Cathy Higgs of Camden.
Services will be at 7 p. m. Tuesday, in the Davis- Smith Funeral Home Chapel, Hot Springs with Brother Bob Fruen officiating.
Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p. m. Tuesday, prior to the services.
Guest registry is at www. davis- smith. com.
MOUNT IDA — Ida Sue McLane, 83, of Mount Ida, died Saturday, July 6, 2013, at the Montgomery County Nursing Home.
She was born on June 6, 1930, in Mount Ida, the daughter of Minnie Campbell O’Neal and Charley Guy O’Neal.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob H. McLane; her parents; her sister, Wanda O’Neal; her brother, Jimmy O’Neal; and her niece, Kathy O’Neal.
She was employed as a secretary by the Indianapolis Glove Factory of Mount Ida for many years, a member of the Lydia Sunday School Class and Mount Ida First Baptist Church. She was a wonderful mom, granny and sister and will be dearly missed by all that knew and loved her. She loved reading, knitting and flowers. Her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren brought her much joy.
She is survived by her son and daughter- in- law, Robert and Gwena McLane of Elmer, La.; her daughter and son- inlaw, Mary and Sam Amerson of Mount Ida; two brothers, Mike O’Neal and his wife Paulette of Mount Ida, and Charley O’Neal and his wife Kathy of Mount Ida; her sister- in- law, Carole O’Neal of Mount Ida; four grandchildren, Greg Amerson and his wife Debra, Sarah Amerson, Nathan McLane and Ann McLane; three great- grandchildren, Keenan, Brady and Piper Mei Amerson; and her special nieces and nephews, Michelle Lacefield, Carrie Paris, Greg O’Neal and Scott O’Neal.
Services will be held at 2 p. m. Tuesday in the Mount Ida First Baptist Church with Brother John Guerra officiating.
Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p. m. today at Mount Ida
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Loye E. “Ted” Tedford, 90, of Hot Springs, passed away Sunday, July 7, at the Mercy Hospital. He was born Nov. 3, 1922, in Lonoke County, the son of the Marble John and Ida Tennessee ( Rochelle) Tedford.
He was retired after 39 years as branch manager of Wonder Bread in Hot Springs. He was a member of the Grand Avenue United Methodist Church where he served as usher and was in the Victory Sunday School Class.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Elaine Schenebeck Tedford; two brothers, Clarence and LeRoy Tedford; and sister Mary Perkins.
Survivors are his wife of 59 years, Audrey ( Lawrence) Tedford, to whom he married Feb. 13, 1954; son Ted Tedford ( Sandra) of Bryant; daughters, Carolyn Kyle ( W. Lamar) of Fort Smith, Lois Fitzpatrick ( James E.) of Aurora, Colo., Vickie Hamilton ( David) of Cordova, Tenn.; sister Martha Hicks of Austin; grandchildren, Jeff Fitzpatrick ( Estela) of Aurora, Colo., Joshua Fitzpatrick of Denver, Garrett Hamilton of Nashville, Tenn., and Aimee Tedford of Bryant; and greatgranddaughter Megan Fitzpatrick. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p. m. today at Regency Funeral Home.
Funeral will be at 10 a. m. Tuesday in the Regency Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. George Rook officiating. Burial in Round Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers are David Hamilton, Lamar Kyle, John Hicks, Jim Fitzpatrick, Larry Hankins and Bruce Tedford. Honorary pallbearers are Dr. John Bond, Dr. Fred Heinemann and Dr. Nizar Suleman.
Special thanks to Arkansas Hospice and West Shores Retirement.
Memorials to Round Hill Cemetery Assoc. P. O. Box 1226 Malvern or Grand Avenue United Methodist Church of Hot Springs.
Arrangements are Funeral Home.
Sign the guestbook at http:// www. regencyfuneralhome. com.
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Glendola “Glenda” Wilson, 73, of Hot Springs, moved her membership to Heaven on Saturday, July 6, 2013.
She was born Jan. 13, 1940, in Minturn, the daughter of Frank George Allen and Lillie Lonzo Simms. She was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers and two sisters.
Glenda always felt her greatest accomplishments on earth was serving God and raising her wonderful family. Her four daughters were her most precious joy and she always felt that she had been blessed to have had the “greatest” mother and dad that ever lived, always teaching her to love God. She was formerly a member of National Park Assembly of God, until God called her to join him in Heaven. She enjoyed working in her flower gardens and watching the hummingbirds by her door.
She is survived by her four daughters, Pamela N. Seel of Hot Springs Village, Sheryl A. and Mark Adams of Alabama, Christina M. Ball and Greg Ashworth of Hot Springs and Rebecka R. and Johnny Lee of Hot Springs; eight grandchildren; numerous greatgrandchildren; two brothers and sisters- in- law, Ernest and Vaudeen Allen of Minturn and Tommy L. and Cheeri Allen of Greers Ferry; three sisters, Georgia L. Freet and family of Hot Springs; Frances and Robin Whaley and family of Alicia and Shelby J. Bates and family of Hot Springs; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
Services will be at 2 p. m. Wednesday at National Park Assembly of God with Brother Mike Mason officiating.
Visitation will be 2 to 4 p. m. Tuesday at Davis- Smith funeral home.
Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery under the direction of Davis- Smith Funeral Home, Hot Springs.
Pallbearers will be R. J. Cockran, Jerry Cockran, Jerry Allen, Barry Allen, Johnny Lee and Clay Allen.
Honorary pallbearers will be Ernest Allen, Tommy Allen, Robin Whaley, Alan Whaley, Jim Seel, Buddy Thomas, Mark Adams and Greg Ashworth.
Guest registry is at http:// www. davis- smith. com.