Purpose

The Oakland-Livingston Human Service Agency established the Home Injury Control Program for Older Adults to help the elderly and disabled adults avoid preventable injuries by maintaining a comfortable and safe living environment.

Description

The Oakland-Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) offers the Home Injury Control Program for Older Adults to prevent accidents and avoidable injuries among the elderly.  Older adults, age 60 or older, can receive safety devices for their home.  Disabled adults under age 60 are also eligible in select communities.  Priority is given to lower income and disabled elderly.  A private pay home injury control program is also offered for persons under the age of 60 who do not qualify for the donation-based program.

OLHSA has developed two logic models pertaining to the Home Injury Control Program - Dynamics of Service Delivery to Eligible Elderly Adults and Theory of Change: Proposed Effects from Activities During Ongoing Program Improvement:

A variety of items are available to help assure the safety of older adults in the bathroom, at night, in emergencies, and during every-day routines.  OLHSA's loan closet delivers and installs all types of donated devices that allow greater comfort or mobility to frail older adults.  Group safety talks are also available at no charge.

A Senior Home Safety: Home Injury Control Manual is distributed to help older adults live safely in their home and to help prevent falls.  Falls are a major health concern for seniors.  The goal of the manual is to help reduce falls and help older adults increase awareness of their living space.  The manual is made available as part of presentations to community groups and in conjunction with installation of home safety devices.

The Home Injury Control Program is staffed by a Program Supervisor to cover designated county groupings and Home Injury/Safety Workers.

A variety of helpful related resources can be accessed through national organizations and other groups such as:

• Fall Prevention Project – Temple University College of Health Professions
  • Fall Prevention Program Manual – Spanish version and other languages are also available – Low Activity Impact Program, Feet and Shoes, Check It Out Brochure – Spanish version (things older adults can do to reduce their risk of falling)
  • Reducing Falls and Serious Injuries: Training Program Manual from the HEROS© Program (Health, Education, Research Outreach for Seniors)
  • On-Line Courses through the Temple University Institute on Aging
• Fall Prevention Resources from the National Council on Aging featuring numerous items including:
• Creative Practices in Home Safety Assessment and Modification Study – Spotlights ten creative and replicable programs and practices in home assessment and modification that can reduce home hazards.
• Checklists – Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults (CDC), Fall Prevention Checklist (MN Safety Council), Checklist for Fall Prevention Programs (National Falls Free Coalition), Home Safety Checklists (CDC)
• Archives of Electronic Newsletters
• Toolkits – Matter of Balance Replication Report, Preventing Falls Among Older Adults (CDC), Falls Toolkit (Practicing Physician Education in Geriatrics), Falls Toolkit (National Center for Patient Safety)    
• Assistive Technology (Administration on Aging)
• Older & Wiser: Home Fire Safety Check for Family and Friends of Older Adults (Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council)
• Fire Safety Checklist for Older Consumers – Spanish Version (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, AARP, and Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council)
• Older Consumer’s Safety Checklist – Spanish version (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

• Older Consumer Safety Test (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

  
  
  OLHSA offers a range of other Older Adult Services including:

• Home Chore Services (Livingston County) and Home Chore Services (Oakland County)  – Provides yard work, snow removal, lawn mowing, and one-time heavy housekeeping for elderly residents who can no longer maintain their homes, have no family support system, and cannot afford to pay to have work done.
• Family/Home Support Services – Community-based, in-home services by referral or private pay.  Services include:
  • Personal care
  • Home making (laundry and meal preparation)
  • Transportation
  • Respite care for older adults, fragile, or developmentally challenged
  • Activities of Daily Livings (AOL's)
• Grandparents/Acting Parents Support Group (GAP) – Provides support to grandparents and other relatives who are raising or helping to raise a child.  Services include free counseling, support groups and home visitation.

Outcomes

OLHSA served 700 seniors with 1,989 devices between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009.

A Home Safety Program Telephone Interview is conducted on a quarterly basis to determine the degree that falls were prevented as a result of bathroom devices installed by OLHSA (shower chair, handheld shower, tub bar, or tub mat) - see the following surveys for the first 3 quarters of FY'09:

• October 1 – December 31, 2008 with results from 37 clients
• January 1, 2009 - March 31, 2009 with results from 44 clients
• April 1, 2009 - June 30, 2009 with results from 38 clients

A series of charts provides data on the benefits of devices installed under the Home Injury Control Program from 2003 – 2007:

• Chart 1 - No Falls
• Chart 2 - Same Number of Falls
• Chart 3 - Fewer Number of Falls
• Chart 4 - More Falls
• Chart 5 - Devices Were Helpful
• Chart 6 – Number of Clients Surveyed