Buncombe County Government, NC Tapped In, 7 Sep 2022

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From YouTube: Tapped In | Falls Prevention Awareness and Aging Gracefully | September 7 2022

Description

North Carolina will celebrate Falls Prevention Awareness Week September 18-24, 2022.

Billie Breeden, Buncombe County’s Age-Friendly Coordinator and Brea Kuykendall, Aging Program Specialist, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention with Land of Sky joined us for today's episode. Learn about the various services available for our aging populations.

We also share tips around preventing falls in your home and how to safely age in place.
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Tapped In is a radio show that seeks to empower the community with information and resources through conversation. It is recorded twice monthly at WRES, 100.7 FM in Asheville, NC.

A

You're listening to tapped in buckingham county's half hour to empower on wres 100.7 fm in asheville, listen up and get tapped into local important resources. Information and topics learn more about the topics of today's show at buncombecounty.org.

A

Okay, it's time to get tapped in hello, hello, hello, and it is your favorite.

B

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Zakiyah bell rogers, and this is tapped in and then your other favorite host leonard.

C

A

And leonard and I come to you from the communications and public engagement department of buncombe county, who do we have today leonard today,.

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We would like to introduce our special guest billy breden booking county's age friendly coordinator and bria cocondor, all right, maria coconut we're an agent pro agent program, specialist health promotions and disease prevention with linda sky. Welcome. Thank you. Thank.

A

You all right tell us a little bit about yourselves we're going to let you go first billy.

D

uh I'm the new age friendly coordinator for buncombe county and I just started about three weeks ago and my job is to guide and support the activities related to age-friendly bunker county and the main goal of age-friendly funko county is to ensure that older adults are safe, well and engaged, and um this is based on that age-friendly action plan and that lines with buncombe county's uh 2025 strategic plan with the two focus areas of resident well-being and an engaged and capable community by supporting residents abilities to age in place.

A

Okay and age and place means what so people know what that means.

D

Agent place has the ability for someone to live where, where they choose to live and to and and maintain like some level of independence, instead of going to long-term care facilities that they can choose to stay in their home with the right support.

A

Yeah, that's important. All right, bria tell us a little bit what you do. Thank you for.

B

Having me, uh my name is brian kirkvalle, and I am the aging program specialist, with the land of sky, regional council area agency, on aging, focusing on health promotion and disease prevention, and what that does a primary focus of that is delivering evidence-based health programs to the area that help improve balance and prevent falls for our western north carolina adults.

B

I also serve as uh on the western north carolina falls prevention coalition, I'm an executive council liaison to north carolina, as well as an advisor for buncombe county and current chair for the education committee, so really out there trying to help people prevent falls.

A

So what is an elder? You know, I hear it being defined so many different ways. um So how what is an elder and how is it defined? Well,.

B

You know elders, older adults seniors all these are words we hear to define older folks or folks of a certain age.

B

However, that question is often challenging, because different agencies groups government has different definitions for that for us at the aaa at the area agency on aging, a lot of that's based on the older americans act and.

D

So that's going.

B

To be folks that are 60 and above, and I know that the buncombe county council on aging also focuses on 60 and above. But I do want to be careful and invite everybody if you haven't hit 60 but you're.

D

Interested in something go ahead and contact.

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Us because we can get you on a wait list for when that big birthday comes or we can uh reach out and help with other resources that may be more suited for folks.

D

And free is right that that most of the agencies around here define an older adult is 60 and older. But how did that for humanity um defines an older adult? Is 55 plus and mouth housing opportunities? They also help older adults and they define it as 62 plus so, but mainly people define older adults in our region as 60 plus, like the agencies that are serving older adults.

C

And so billy, I heard that you say you're new to the county, but as we're talking about our older residents of bulking county.

D

What are some of the.

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Services that buncombe county have for our older residents.

D

Well, I'm not new to the county, I'm just new to this position.

A

D

I've worked in direct service of older adults for probably 10 years, so I'm very familiar with some of the services like off the top of my head. I work for counts on aging, for probably over six years.

C

D

On aging provides a lot of services to older adults. They have a congregate nutrition program where there's four dining sites located around the county.

D

They have an in-home aid program. They do help people with their medicare. They also help people with the affordable care act, insurance and those are for people. That's the one service, that's below 60..

D

They also have provide caregiver support and and benefits enrollment there's. Other organizations like meals on wheels, does homebound food delivery for people they're 60-plus and aren't able to cook there's jewish family services. They have an elder club as well as caregiver respite, and they also provide mental health services.

D

Mountain care is an adult day health program and an adult day program where older adults can um go for the day and and participate in activities and have meals, and it provides support to the caregiver. So they do a lot of caregiver respite as well.

D

Fiscal legal services provides legal advice, there's on track that provides financial, counseling mayheck provides home-based primary care like habitat, for humanity, helps with like home ownership and home repairs. Mountain housing helps with home repairs of transportation. Mountain mobility helps with medical transportation and general transportation and counts on aging. Also has a transportation program called right, so um those are some of the.

C

D

There's a lot of services.

C

D

Adults in bulk county.

C

Yeah billy, it's not like. You have a lot of wealth and knowledge so with the position that you're in so you said, you knew into the position so it. um How can people um connect with you in terms of tapping into some of that with knowledge that you just shared with us.

D

Well, they could uh email me at billybreeden.buncombecounty.org.

D

But they could also get involved in some of the work groups, because we have like over 80 work like 80, like non-profit businesses, governmental departments, even older adults, that are working in different work groups to make bunch of county age friendly.

A

D

I could name some of the work groups if you'd like.

A

But we'll get to that a little bit later, um so we do want to. We have a question around that so um bread, but you know you work a lot with just direct services as well. What are some big things that you all are doing right about now, as far as as linda's back.

B

Yeah well we're always we have our ombudsman program, we have our foster grandparent program. Of course you know I've got.

D

B

Own horn and say we've got the evidence-based health promotion. That's ongoing, helping to improve that balance.

B

We are, we are constantly busy. I feel bad. I know I'm leaving folks out and their work is just so important for the area. um One of the big things we have coming up this friday um is actually our paul's prevention conference, we'll be doing that. We work with area partners any opportunity that we can from blue ridge, pride buncombe county uh north carolina center for health and wellness, so we're we are out in that community trying to help, and we actually our region goes beyond hong kong county. It is hendersonville transylvania, county.

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Madison county.

B

As well for our area agency on aging, so so.

C

Just following up, I heard that you mentioned fall prevention. Can you share a little bit more with the listeners today? What exactly that encompassed? And you said you have a conference coming up. How can people participate in that process?.

B

Well, um our registration did close september 2nd, but there I know right, but we um we do have it annually. So if you missed out this year, we encourage you to get on board next year, but there's a lot of stuff this month going around about fall prevention, awareness and it's really important, because um bathrooms especially can be a really dangerous place for folks flip-flops throw rugs. They.

D

B

They say they are especially as you get older. um You know, folks in the bathroom, are twice as likely to fall and have that result in an injury and other than anywhere else in the home, and one in three adults over the age of 65 will have a fall this year. Oh.

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B

Yeah and um less than half of those folks actually report those falls to the doctor, but unfortunately, the impact of a fall can create additional injuries and concerns on down the road. So that's why it's really important.

A

I would be fearful if they fell and like they hit their head or something and didn't report, because, like often head injuries and brain injuries go undiagnosed because they don't report the fall.

B

Correct and in 2020 there were actually 183 339 unintentional falls that were sent to an uh emergency department yeah. um So those numbers are really striking for north carolina and especially.

A

Western carolina, yeah, and especially in western.

B

North carolina, we have a very high fall rate rural communities, things like that. We have a very high fall race, we're trying to get those numbers down.

D

And buncombe, county and henderson county are two of the highest counties with the biggest fall rates.

B

Right here yes, absolutely, and I was.

D

Looking at um some data from the western north carolina fall prevention and they had data from 2018 and there were 50 deaths in buncombe, county and 45 deaths in henderson, county and the rest of the counties had lower levels. So um been trained like to do a matter of balance program, and when I was doing that program back, then they really specified that bunker and henderson have the highest incidence of of deaths related to that's related to false. Well,.

A

If you hear those numbers, you think it's 52 weeks in a year, that's like one a week as.

B

A matter of fact falls are actually the leading cause of traumatic brain injury and, while not every fall results in in this one in five will and each week falls account for 1189 er visits, 266 hospitalizations and 17 unintended deaths nationally. So it really it's very impactful on our loved.

C

Ones wow, those are shocking numbers to even just think about. So what are some of the preventative ways that people can help around just kind of preparing, um just the environment, their homes around to prevent falls? You have any suggestions around that yeah.

B

I think one of the first things we do is we approach how we look at our homes a little differently, so.

A

A basic, simple.

B

Example might be when we're young, we put those uh blenders and different uh heavier dishes things we don't use. Very often we might put those in the top cabinets.

D

Get them out of the way. I don't want to see.

B

Those except for christmas or whatever.

D

B

Right um or you reach for that blender in a high place. Well now, as we get older, we might want to look at those high shelves and bring those things down. You know home modifications that might um increase the size of the door. um What shoes we're putting on our feet.

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B

Slides are no longer the thing when we get older flies are dangerous.

A

For you at any age, I've seen kids get taken out. I can't disagree.

B

Throw rugs you know.

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B

Rugs in our kitchen, we love them they're aesthetically beautiful, but there comes a point where they can be dangerous.

A

Well, even the rugs in the bathroom, you look at them, and sometimes they don't have that stickiness on the bottom and then they have these new ones where they're wood.

B

A

That one kind of scares me as a person who has a broken eardrum that, like my balance, is already off, and so I had to do a lot of classes to get my balance together and that feels kind of unsafe to me. So let's talk about those bath mats like what is the best type of bath mat to have you.

B

Definitely if you're going to choose to use a bath mat, I would definitely use a rubber back bath bath.

D

B

On wood wood on tile, I would not recommend that grab bars having a place like getting in and out of the shower. I would strongly encourage having grab bars or some way to remain stable um in the bathroom, but you just really have to be careful of those mats. If they're not going to stay in place, then you may be best not to have that mad. If that's what it comes down to because they'll they will toss you yeah.

A

I've even seen somebody out of like moss and I'm always like what bug is gonna come in, and I have a bug.

D

In my foot, so that's like a whole.

A

Different level of elderly care like no we're not doing that as well, and yet you see the ones with pebbles I mean is the idea is beautiful, but it's not safe and we want people of all ages, especially ld, our aging population, to be safe, because we need you here.

D

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We need we need your your wisdom and um let's talk about some other ways to to say.

D

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Graph bars um also, let's talk about the bed, how many times people fall out of their bed, um that's being too high um for some reason, we all like to jump in the bed like we're the princess bride and dangle our feet off the end. But let's talk about the the dangers of that either. One of you all.

D

Well, yeah um I mean too high a bed is, is not good, but also a lot of older adults. They they have things like their nightstand is too far away, so they reach, and then they fall out of bed.

C

D

Or some of them even have some of them like those little throw rugs that should be out of the house um or even like clutter, they might leave like something by the side. The bed clutter. I mean that's one of the biggest things for not only the bedroom, but the whole house get rid of the clutter.

A

D

So and you know like books or papers or whatever or like you, throw a piece of clothing down or even like dog toys um things like that. But um do you have any ideas for the bedroom yeah.

B

Another thought I would have is getting in and out of the bed. You.

D

A

B

Want to make sure that the bed, like you said, is not so high that folks can't properly stand up and have their full balance when they're getting out of the bed rather than swinging the feet over and kind of making a small hop for.

A

B

Not exactly um our safest scenario, um keeping our our linens and sheets if you are making that bed up off the floor, so you don't accidentally trip on that and really just be generally aware of those surroundings. Well,.

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You know bad um bad.

B

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With such fluffy stuff, the bed skirt that hangs all the way down to the floor that can get caught on feet and those fluffy pillows you throw them off the bed at night. You get out the bed you're on the floor with those pillows. Now I mean there's just so many different things. I I think also people understand closets as well. Going into your closet can be very dangerous. As you get older, it can be dangerous.

D

Now, especially.

A

If you have shoes stacked up to the ceiling and boxes, they can fall on you. um So what are some places like there? Are there any places that will help our this population declutter or things of that nature?.

B

Decluttering, I don't know off of hand in agency now we do have folks that are out there that are really great helping with repair.

A

B

Council on aging on buncombe county is a really really great source. They have a minor repair program. That's available north carolina division for independent living can come in and do some accessibility modifications. If that's the case, because you know we got to get in the house. Yeah.

A

To begin with,.

B

You know and that's something that might be overlooked as broken stairs or or stairs with no handwrittens as we enter the home, so uh they can help with that.

B

As billy mentioned, uh mountain housing opportunities north carolina baptist aging ministry is a wonderful resources when it comes to that and then smoky mountain home inspections, they'll actually do an inspection of your home, see if everything's, where it needs to be and up to par and uh in an effort to help folks age in place to be able to stay in their homes if their homes are a good fit for them.

B

We want folks to have that independence that comes with aging in place and then, if you against minor repairs, because sometimes we might have a creaky board somewhere that that little threshold we're tripping over to get.

D

To the bedroom.

B

And um the unit the united states department of agriculture offers a low interest home repairs. Okay,.

A

So and these places will put like bars up if they like need them and yeah.

D

And california aging has their minor home repair program is um installs, grab bars like like in the shower and that's the shower or by the toilet, and um they also install handrails and which is a big thing that.

A

D

Should have in their homes like.

A

Even just hallways right, hallways and.

D

Staircases, and so they do that, as well as um just minor things to keep people safe um and as far as like, when you start out decluttering, that's, um I would encourage people to call the counts on aging because they have like a resource.

D

um They they've like services, coordinators that might be able to get people connected to different resources. Now, when I worked there, decluttering was a hard thing to find someone to do, but it might have changed. I.

C

Just left in october.

D

But it might have changed and even like comes to mind the north carolina baptist aging ministry. You know they might help with decluttering, but I would encourage people to call the council on aging first well I'll.

B

Take a real, quick opportunity to let folks know that the lambda sky area agency on aging, as well as the buncombe county uh council on aging, both have wonderful resource guidebooks that have websites telephone numbers they break all these services down, be it falls or in homemade or nutrition wealth of information. So you can also request one of those for more information.

C

Yeah, so for a lot of our listeners that they may be hearing of these agencies and the services they provide, but we realize that I ain't community often struggle with limited income. So when we.

D

C

Home repairs and adding things to your house that can be a additional stress and burden. Are you aware, just from your work experience in the field, especially with our agent residents? um What opportunities is kind of financially can help people, so, even though they may see, they have an issue or challenge that they want to address are y'all just while listening today, so y'all know where they can go to see if there's potential financial assistance to help with those.

B

uh Yes, the united states department of agriculture.

C

B

Be a good start. We can also work to get you with the council on aging who can partner folks that are low income, all of our evidence-based health programs, where we can work on our own wellness and our own balance. Those are free.

D

B

Ones that are offered by the area agency on asian are free, they're funded by the older americans act. So that's always fun.

D

Yeah, so the council on aging works with many different partners. Their services are free, they're, funded by the home and community care block grant, but they with their minor home repair program, there's no cost they. They may ask for a donation, but there's no cost, but they partner with habitat for humanity and mountain housing, opportunities to do home, repairs and um those two organizations they do have.

D

um You know you have to qualify some, but it is for low, lower income people, so they can qualify for those programs, and I don't um they. I don't think there's a charge for them, but um you could call the council on aging and get like.

D

You know hooked up with the those two organizations there's also community action organization which provides weatherization for people's homes and counts on aging works with them and a lot of times older adults. They don't. They need help filling out the application.

C

D

The the good thing about counts on aging is that they provide assistance and uh the mental person and help the older adults fill out the application yeah. So.

C

I hear you're talking about the counseling just for the listeners here. What exactly is the council on aging? Is it housed? Where is it housed or how they contact? That information.

D

You have the information yeah, so it's it's calls on. Aging is located um off hendersonville road in the deerfield retirement community. It's it's 46 sheffield circle. The phone number is 828-277-8288.

D

And if listeners call there they're a wealth of information.

A

I think so yeah, I think a lot of times. We hear all these agencies and we don't feel like we're eligible for those programs. So I would just encourage anyone who is at the tender age of 55 and up um to go ahead. If you have any questions, call get the information and just see what's available out there, because you don't know if you don't ask right, yeah, yeah, so brian you all have some stuff coming up. um You want to talk about that.

B

Yeah, so uh the western north carolina falls prevention, and if I could just indulge it's actually uh 14 counties, it represents 14 calories.

A

B

The western part of the state funkham uh cherokee clay, graham haywood, henderson jackson, megan madison mcdowell, rutherford, swain and transylvania,.

A

So that's a lot of counties. It's it's west.

B

And since 2009 we've basically been assisting the population western north carolina and reducing their number of falls, and in september we have a large focus on on falls as it is and um getting out getting. The word out, like I said, with the mayheck conference partnering with them to bring educational opportunities and we'll be doing that on the ninth, we'll be covering everything from uh community connections for falls: prevention, uh home safety, which we've been discussing today, dementia and falls as well as low vision and um and incorporating fall prevention into tai chi principles. So.

D

A

Should be some of the topics we'll.

B

Be covering on friday very.

A

Exciting, well, we only have a few minutes left. I'm gonna give you um everybody time to say.

D

A

To clothes oh yeah,.

D

Anything you want.

A

D

Not not off the top of like.

A

That okay, but if you think of anything while bree and lara speaking, you.

D

B

I want to thank you for having me today and I would encourage anybody that is interested in joining one of our fall prevention coalition meetings. You can come join us on october, 14th from 9 to 10 30.

D

B

So you can do it from the comfort of your home. If you're interested in that you can reach out to me at bria landofsky.org, that's b-r-e-a-landasky.org.

B

Be happy to help you out with that or anything else you may be interested in and again. I appreciate y'all's time today.

A

Yeah, you have anything you want to add or ask well.

C

Just for the listeners, I would just like to strongly encourage our residents of buckingham county to um just for the information we heard, especially around fall prevention. Take some time to look around your home um even just as a a child of an aging parent.

C

Even just us can go around and look around our parents house and think of the best way for them to be protected and cared for as they age in place, and so we're just looking for those opportunities, and we hope you got a lot of information around especially around the council of aging and just as we say, billye.

A

C

She's new to it in a position with buncombe county she's, very familiar with a lot of the agencies, so we strongly encourage you to go out to www.bunkingcounty.org to get more information and just as we heard today, she had a lot of wealth of information, especially in a new position around age friendly coordinator. So, as she said, you can email.

D

C

So we strongly encourage the residents to take this opportunity. Look around your home look for safety and always go to bumblecounty.org for more information information around our agent population, yeah.

A

D

Right billy last chance.

D

Oh one thing I wanted to bring up is that um one of the initiatives of age friendly buncombe county is we we went, uh um there's a proposal to build an active aging center, so there's a um a buncombe county page about that, and there's also engage function, county there's a web page and you can scroll down and and look at age-friendly and and the public can provide input on various things related to age friendly, as well as the proposed act of aging center, and thanks for having us here today, yeah thanks.

A

For being here well, I'm gonna get ready to close and I'd like to say: if you ask a lot of older people, they would say: agent is not friendly but necessary, but we at buckham county want to let you know that we're here to support you in that journey, no matter how it looks and we want you to be able to live and thrive in your community.

A

Also just a word of of doing throw away. One thing every day that you don't need declutter.

A

Do you really need that newspaper from 1984?

A

If it's not worth money, throw it away? Do you need that rug that somebody gave you from 1975 that shag and it's not even green anymore, throw it away?

A

One thing today keeps the falls away: okay, with love, compassion and respect. We are one bank and we are tapped in. Thank you.

C

Thank you for listening to tapped in buncombe county's half hour to empower here on wres 100.7 fm in nashville, learn more about today's topic at bunkingcounty.org. Otherwise, stay tuned for more great episodes coming up.

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