In August, Marathon resident Robert Giffen fell and broke his hip. For most people that would be a serious inconvenience. For Robert, who is elderly, it meant spending a considerable amount of time in a nursing home in the Upper Keys. Now his wife, Lois, who must travel the 40 miles to see him, needs to find a way to make it possible for her husband to live at home.</p><p>Falling is the No. 1 fear of older people. Often the injuries that result mean a long and expensive stay in a nursing home or other facility. For some it means a permanent move.</p><p>Marathon winter resident Bill Lorimer knows this well. He worked for an organization called the Elderberry Institute in St. Paul, Minn., that works to keep the elderly in their homes. </p><p>“Preventing falls is huge,” Lorimer said. “We worked with people to modify their homes so they wouldn’t fall.”</p><p>He pointed to a number of strategies that can prevent falls. For example, people should either remove throw rugs or install rubber pads to ensure they don’t give way. Lorimer also instructed people to rearrange their furniture so that there are no obstacles between the bedroom and the bathroom, since older people often get up during the night to go.</p><p>“There are also many products out there to assist older people who have difficulty moving around,” he added. </p><p>The Giffens have installed some of these already. The toilet is surrounded by a frame that makes it easier to sit and stand. They purchased an electric recliner that, when activated, tilts up, thereby making it less effortful to get off the chair. Robert, who has Parkinson’s disease, uses an electrically powered chair to move around the house. </p><p>However, our stilt homes offer one of the biggest challenges for elderly or disabled people in the Keys. To meet that problem, the Giffens installed a lift that rides up and down a rail next to the stairway. That solution has had mixed results.</p><p>“When it rains, the unit stops working,” Lois Giffen said. “We’ve had to have it repaired many times.”</p><p>Now they are installing an elevator inside the house, an expensive solution. For some people, it will be money well spent. </p><p>Most people agree that it’s better and more cost effective for older people to stay in their own homes as long as possible. According to a poll taken by AARP, 30 percent of those who are 45 or older said they were concerned about being forced to move into a nursing home because their own abode wasn’t suitable. </p><p>An organization calling itself the National Aging in Place Council has a Web site at http://www.naipc.org/ that provides a number of excellent suggestions for preparing a home for an aging person. And even those who are not infirm can implement some of these before a time when these changes become mandatory. </p><p>For example in the bathroom, people might want to lower the bathroom sink, making sure there’s proper knee clearance for a wheelchair. It’s also quite simple to install grab bars in the shower and near the toilet. </p><p>In the bedroom it’s helpful to install rocker light switches to replace common flip switches. They are easier to turn on and off. </p><p>In the kitchen, it makes sense to vary the height of countertops for easier access, to lower cooking surfaces and raise the dishwasher, and make the storage space easier to reach. </p><p>Finally, Lorimer said that many people neglect the lighting. Older people need brighter lighting and lighting that illuminates outdoor areas. </p><p>“The good news is that the new energy-efficient CFLs now come in higher wattages,” he said. “That means that people don’t have to sacrifice energy efficiency and environmental concerns to get better lighting.”</p><p>Older people would prefer to remain in their own homes as long as possible and some resist any move at all. Nursing homes are extremely expensive and even long-term care insurance doesn’t fully cover the cost. </p><p>For those in their 50s and 60s, it might be time to install some of these kinds of modifications to help make any home safer and easier to navigate. Money spent now can save much more later.