Good Samaritan Society-Waukon to focus on fall prevention for seniors as its Founders Day Service Project

Seeking homes to receive safety interventions

For many aging adults, the risk of falling and not knowing how long they can stay in their homes are common concerns. More than one-third of seniors over age 65 fall each year and falls account for 25 percent of all hospital admissions and 40 percent of all rehab/skilled care admissions, according to statistical reports.

Many falls could be avoided with something as simple as better lighting, removal of trip hazards or the addition of a grab bar. The Good Samaritan Society wants to help change those statistics and help seniors in the local community live in their homes longer, and the Society’s Founders Day Service Project can be a means to do just that.

September 29, 1922 The Good Samaritan Society was founded, 96 years ago this coming fall. The Good Samaritan Society focuses on that day of its beginning by helping others in the community it serves through its Founders Day Service Project.
“In honor of our long-standing work to share God’s love in word and deed, we celebrate this time each year by implementing fall prevention strategies in the homes of the seniors in our county,” said Tatum Miller, Resource Development and Community Relations Director at Good Samaritan Society-Waukon.

As part of this year’s Founders Day Service Project, The Good Samaritan Society-Waukon has received a grant for lighted outlet covers (see photo above) to place in the homes of local seniors. In addition to the lighted outlet covers, a fall risk assessment is also available as part of the Founders Day Service Project for any Allamakee County resident over the age of 65 who is still living at home.

FEATURES OF THE LIGHTED OUTLET COVER
The best feature about this Wall Outlet Nightlight is that it allows both plug-ins in the outlet to be used for their intended purposes. Often, it is found that night lights get unplugged when the outlet is needed, and then are forgotten to be plugged back in, creating dark spaces that can be a fall hazard.

Having good lighting is key to preventing falls, so the following are some other reasons why the Wall Outlet Nightlight is an important feature for a senior to have in his or her home:

• The easy snap-on wall outlet cover plate night light doesn’t require any batteries or wiring, so it is easy for volunteers to install during the Founders Day Service Project.
• The wall outlet cover plate utilizes the power of LED technology to give over 100,000 hours of ambient light in the home and costs less than 10 cents per year to operate.
• The wall outlet night light easily installs. No drills required. Just unscrew the old cover and screw in this one. No wiring and no batteries are needed.
• There are three LED night lights across the bottom of the outlet (see photo), and a light sensor that knows when to turn the LEDs on/off automatically.
• The cover plate does not heat up like standard cover plates can sometimes do.

The Good Samaritan Society-Waukon is encouraging all seniors to reach out to benefit from this year’s Founders Day Service Project by calling 563-568-6523 to speak with Tatum Miller. She will begin the process of gathering information and meeting with those seniors who contact her to help with a fall risk assessment and installation of the Wall Outlet Nightlight. Anyone over the age of 65 living at home in Allamakee County qualifies for this opportunity.