Free anti-fall program helps seniors stay home

Betty Ritchie is a fireball. Her flowered hat and trademark smile light up the lobby at Discovery Point Retirement Community as Ritchie steers her walker in with a vigor belying her 89 years.

"How are you today?" she asks Carl Shutts and Barbara Bradley, greeting them like answered prayers. They ask if Ritchie is ready for their visit, but she's already halfway down the hall. "Am I ever!" she declares. "C'mon, everybody! Here we go to the casa!"

Though Ritchie's spirit is undimmed by age, her safety and independence are matters of concern. But Shutts and Bradley work with Rebuilding Together/Valley of the Sun, a Tempe-based organization that helps low- and middle-income seniors keep a grasp on the world.

A LEG UP ON SAFETY

For more than a year, Rebuilding Together has been protecting seniors from falls by installing guardrails, grab bars and other safety equipment in their homes, free of charge.

"We currently have four teams of volunteer installers and a waiting list of about 28 people," Bradley says.

The fall prevention coordinator says her crews are mostly retirees like Shutts who disperse Valleywide each weekday, serving two to three clients per shift.

"We're strapped for volunteers right now," she says. "But in most cases, qualifying seniors can have the equipment installed in about two and a half weeks."

Arizona ranks fifth nationally in fall-related deaths. Falls are an epidemic among seniors and the leading cause of injury, death and hospital admissions for people over 65.

"Last year, they recorded more than 3,000 fall-related injuries in Mesa alone," Shutts says, "and 900 in the first four months of this year." Cherie Scott, general manager at Discovery Point, says even nonfatal falls can have disastrous consequences: "One fall can mean the difference between remaining independent and going to the next level of care."

"And the next level of care can quadruple in cost," Shutts says.

Funded with a grant from the Virginia G. Piper Foundation, Rebuilding Together's program reaches seniors who find themselves priced out of household safeguards. Those who qualify as low- or middle-income applicants receive equipment and installation free. Those who don't can receive the same services on a sliding scale.

"We started last year and expected about 50 requests," Bradley says. "We wound up installing in 258 homes."

FOOTING AND FEARS

For Ritchie, the help is a godsend.

"I was surprised to know this was available," she says, watching Shutts install an elevated toilet seat.

Ritchie, who has osteoporosis, suffered a debilitating fall not long ago and remains spooked by it.

"They came a couple of weeks ago, and installed a shower extension that makes it so much easier to use, and a floor pad so I won't slip. So many wonderful things!"

It was on that first visit that Shutts noticed an elevated seat was needed.

"You never know what (seniors) may really need," he says. "You talk to them on the phone first, but it's not unusual to need more equipment once you get there."

Shutts says a good visit includes walk-throughs and careful observation.

"Falls can happen so easily. So once (the equipment) is installed, we watch them use it to make sure they're comfortable. And you look for signs of other problems: Do they have to touch the walls as they walk down the hall? Do they pull on the shower curtain to get out of the tub? Are their towel racks pulled out from the wall? And we always check the smoke alarms while we're there. I've yet to visit a home with a working smoke alarm."

Rebuilding Together reaches seniors through presentations Valleywide.

"We work with local hospitals and fire departments," Bradley explains. "They provide information on the dangers of falls among seniors. Then we explain our services and how to apply."

Rebuilding Together so far has installed equipment at 17 senior living facilities in Phoenix, five in Mesa and three in Tempe. Average cost: $140 in equipment alone.

"We don't get a lot of hesitation," Bradley laughs. "Most of them, like Betty, say: 'I didn't even know this was available.' "

Shutts talks Ritchie through the use of her newly installed seat, then leaves her to try it herself. Ritchie is delighted with the results.

"It helps me feel safe," she says. "Because it isn't just the falling. It's worrying about the falling. You look at the shower or the tub and think: 'Can I handle it?' And I can, most days. But not every day. I'm not the swinger I used to be."