CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — When a senior falls, it can do more than bruise skin or break bones. An older person’s spill can set off a slew of conditions that are difficult if not impossible to reverse.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 5 falls results in an injury that can make it hard for seniors to get around, participate in everyday activities or live on their own. Falls can also send people over age 65 spiraling into poor health and disability.

Several factors are to blame, like failing eyesight, diminished reflexes, medications and conditions affecting balance and dementia, among others. Falling once increases the chances of falling again, instilling in many seniors a fear of falling that itself can contribute to future falls.

For older adults fortunate enough to live in the assisted living or memory care communities at Ovation Sienna Hills, however, the staff has their backs.

Here in this high-end retirement community, highly trained professionals deliver a level of safety and security that’s hard to attain in the homes of seniors who choose to age in place. Memory care patients in particular get lots of expert help navigating their new physical environment. 

“The hardest thing we do is helping residents adjust to the move from the places where they were comfortable and where, a lot of times, they lived their whole lives,” said Andy Haws, the director of health services at Ovation Sienna Hills who oversees the clinical care team. “We strive to make them feel as much at home here.”

Seniors moving into assisted living or memory care alone may require extra support from the staff.

“In the beginning, it can be overwhelming,” Haws said. “We can’t replace a spouse, so we try really hard to make the transition as easy as possible, to make them feel comfortable, to make them feel loved.”

Haws and her staff also help residents with everyday tasks, from showering and dressing to managing their medications and simply spending time with them in and out of their apartments.

Recently, the life enrichment team at Ovation Sienna Hills has come up with a program for teaching residents how to get up safely after they’ve fallen. 

“Sometimes, injuries occur not from the fall but from residents trying to establish themselves in upright positions,” said Erick Lorenzana, general manager at Ovation Sienna Hills. 

Lorenzana and the staff are focused on ensuring residents’ safety and security in three other areas besides falls: the correct use of assistive devices, prevention of medication errors and resolving potential disputes among memory care residents.

They’re also bringing in the families of memory care residents to give them a better understanding of what their loved ones experience.

“I think that brings families a level of safety and security,” Lorenzana said, adding that as a result, “they can be more understanding and supportive.”

For more information on transitioning to a community at Ovation Sienna Hills, call 435-429-0000 or visit ovationsiennahills.com.

Written by TOM CONNOR, Brand Ave. Studios contributing writer. 

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• Ovation Sienna Hills | Address: 1525 E. Ovation Place, Washington City | Telephone: 435-429-0000 | Website.

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