HOUSE & HOME - TUESDAY, February 10, 2009 - 14JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED!Mill Hall - Contemporary style cottage located in a scenicpreservation area surrounded by Fishing Creek. All of thefinest materials were used in the construction of <strong>this</strong> house.Kim Stiles MLS #55571 $495,000Mill Hall - 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath Contemporary style homelocated on 3.64 wooded acres.Linda Karichner MLS #55612 $169,000Lock Haven - 2 bedroom 1 bath Ranch style home.Basement could be finished for more living space.Linda Karichner MLS #55647 $82,500Lock Haven - Awesome Commercial property with 5apartments and 3 store fronts.Nancy Merinar MLS #55629 $489,000JUST LISTED!JUST LISTED!JUST LISTED!JUST REDUCED!Jersey Shore - Spacious 3-4 bedroom home w/largefenced yard & plenty of off street parking.Larilyn Arndt MLS #55649 $89,900Lovely brick 3 bedroom, 2 full baths 1.5 story home.Kim Stiles MLS #55654 $75,000Loganton - 3 bedroom 1.5 bath ranch style home on 3acres. Huge garage that fits 4 cars or more.Kim Stiles MLS #55694 $159,900Castanea - 5 bedroom brick home on a corner lot.Offering lower taxes, laundry and a bedroom on the firstfloor. Kim Stiles MLS #51211 $89,900Lock Haven - Nice 3 bedroom, 3 bath Timberline homeon 2 acres with a great view! Linda DunkleMLS #53899 $249,000MOTIVATED SELLER!This 3 bedroom 2 bath home is nestled in a very privatesetting. Linda Karichner MLS #54245 $149,900JUST REDUCED!Woolrich - 2 bedroom ranch w/central air, nice basement,and all appliances included.Linda Dunkle MLS #54379 $99,900Antes Fort - 1800’s treasure with beautiful big rooms.5 bedrooms, hardwood floors, and a marble & granitefireplace. Linda Dunkle MLS #54397 $149,900Lock Haven - Great investment opportunity - 3apartments, large retail space and parking!Nancy Merinar MLS #54742 $118,000Beech Creek - Commercial property with owner financingavailable for qualified buyers.Kim Stiles MLS #54745 $89,000Lock Haven - Awesome 4 bedroom, 3 bath tri-level inSagamore. Absolutely move-in ready, <strong>this</strong> is a beauty!Linda Dunkle MLS #54823 $235,900Salladasburg - Traditional 3 bedroom in a quiet location.Nice hardwood floors and an awesome workshop in thebackyard. Linda Dunkle MLS #54984 $115,500
HOUSE & HOMESimple steps at home can prevent dangerous fallsBy FRANCINE PARNESFor The Associated PressIf, as the adage says, “Old ageain’t for sissies,” the first challengein the privacy of one’shome may well be standing one’sground to avoid a fall.Each year in the UnitedStates, according to the Centersfor Disease Control, 1 out ofevery 3 people over 65 falls.Among older adults, falls are theleading cause of injury deaths,according to the NationalAssociation for Home Care andHospice.What starts as a simple misstepmay cause many seniors tolose their health, their independenceand even their lives.What’s more, feeling thepinch of the economic downturn,growing numbers of seniorsnowadays may be unable to selltheir homes — and thereforeneed to make them safer, saysDr. Marion Somers, a geriatriccare manager in Brooklyn, N.Y.“That’s what is making peoplelook at their own place, or afamily member’s house if theyare living with them, and evaluate,how can we make <strong>this</strong> senior-friendlyand safer?” saysSomers, who wrote “Elder CareMade Easier” (Addicus Books,2006). “With <strong>this</strong> economy,(many) seniors and their familiesare not able to afford the cost ofnursing homes and assisted livingfacilities.”Geriatric care managers likeSomers help caretakers and agingfamily members create a plan ofcare, which may include homesafety. Resources that can befound on the Internet include theNational Association ofProfessional Geriatric CareManagers and the NationalAging in Place Council. Someprivate businesses will comeevaluate your home.It may seem surprising that somany people fall in their ownbedroom, kitchen or bathroom,when home is supposed to be asanctuary. Yet “some of theseemingly most innocent roomsin the home can actually be themost dangerous,” says Somers.“It’s important to look at yourown home as if you are seeing itfor the first time, and evaluate itwith a fresh set of eyes.”For instance, in the bathroom,“a 1/2-inch rise in the floor mayseem like nothing to us, but forsomeone who has trouble liftingAP PHOTOThis undated photo provided by the Foundation for Senior Living Caregiver Houseshows Don Chamblin, left, and Susan Kilby, director of the Caregiver House.their feet and shuffles around,<strong>this</strong> could cause them to trip,”she says.“Elderly falls at home havelong been the silent epidemic thatleads to injuries and often resultsin nursing home placement,”says Dr. Cheryl Phillips, incomingpresident of the AmericanGeriatrics Society, which representshealth care professionalswho serve seniors.The most dangerous room forfalls, she says, is the bathroom,because of maneuvering betweenthe bathtub, shower and toilet.“Lots of risk factors come intoplay, and medications that causedizziness or weakness are thebiggest single factor,” she says.“And falls often accompany gettingup in the night.”Some safety solutions maysurprise you. Think a rug alwaysprovides protection against aslippery marble or tile floor?Think again.“The single most importantthing to remove is throw rugs,even if they have been in placefor years,” says Jonna Borgdorff,a physical therapist in Oak Park,Ill., and national rehabilitationdirector for Interim HealthCare, acompany that provides homecare for the elderly.Skip loose rugs that aren’tclearly slip-resistant, and chooseuniform flooring, rather thanuneven walkways, she says.“It is ideal to have one consistentsurface throughout the hometo help avoid tripping.”Borgdorff’s organizationoffers these tips to prevent falls:If you have wall-to-wall carpeting,make sure it is secure andflat, without bunched-up wrinklesor raised areas.Fix poor lighting and addnightlights for trips to the bathroom.In the bathroom, non-skidadhesive textured strips in the tubor shower floor can help preventfalls, while a plastic shower chaircan help ease access in and outof the tub.Likewise, a raised toilet seatwith armrests may provide balanceboth for sitting down andgetting up.Add handrails on steps andgrab bars on bathroom walls.Handrails placed near the toilet,bathtub or shower, can helpsomeone stay balanced when sittingor standing.In the kitchen, forgo slipperyfloor wax. To avoid falls,keep kitchen items in cabinetsthat are easily accessible, atwaist-high level.On stairs, pay particularattention to the top and bottom,where you may miss a step.Consider adding stair treads andhandrails on both sides. Be particularlycautious when walkingbetween a carpeted room and aslippery floor. If walking onstairs is perilous, consider addinga stair chair that electricallyglides up and down the steps.Some pitfalls are less obvious:Don’t be blind to high thresholdsin doorways, says JohnO’Callaghan, president of theMetro Louisville (Ky.) Aging inPlace Council. His company,Evalusafe, offers home safetyevaluations for seniors.Speaking of the floor, clearany clutter there, which is particularlyhazardous for nighttimetrips from bedroom to bathroom,he says.Above all, when the goldenyears usher in an era of change toyour home, try to keep the decorcheery.“Being reminded that declinemay be on the horizon is neverattractive,” says Borgdorff. “Anidea to consider that may put apositive spin on the process is tolook at it as redecorating.”In other words, she says,while you’re seeking the adviceof a home care professional forfunctional changes, also considera decorator to infuse thosechanges with a new personaltouch.— — —On the Net:www.naipc.org/www.americangeriatrics.org/www.interimhealthcare.com/drmarion.com/www.Evalusafe.com/www.caremanager.orgwww.nahc.org15 - HOUSE & HOME - TUESDAY, February 10, 2009
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