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Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023 By Bob Katzen Simple Home Safety Solutions for Aging-in-Place Dear Savvy Senior, Falls and fi res are the two things I worry most about for my elderly father who lives alone. Do you have any suggestions on what we can do to help keep him safe, and keep an eye on him from afar? Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, Of course! There are a number of small adjustments and modifi cations you can make to your dad’s home to help protect him from falls and fi res, both of which cause thousands of injuries and deaths each year. Here are some tips to get you started. Eliminate tripping hazards: Since falls are the leading cause of home injury among seniors, a good place to start is to pack away your dad’s throw rugs which are common tripping hazards or use carpet tacks or double-sided tape to secure them. You may also need to adjust your dad’s furniture so there are clear pathways to walk through and position any electrical or phone cords along walls and out of the way. For hardwood steps, consider attaching a nonslip tread to each one to provide traction and help him see the edge. And for added protection in the bathroom buy some nonskid rugs for the fl oors and use adhesive nonslip treads or a mat with rubber suction inside his tub or shower stall. Improve his lighting: Good lighting is essential for safe aging-in-place, so check the wattage ratings on your dad’s lamps and light fi xtures, and install the brightest bulbs allowed, and add supplementary lighting if necessary. You should also purchase some dusk to dawn nightlights for the bathroom and in the hallways that light up when the sun goes down. And mount some motion sensor lights outside the front and back doors and in the driveway that automatically come on when he comes and goes after dark. Get grab bars: These can signifi cantly reduce his risk of bathroom falls. Install them where he enters the shower or tub and on a wall inside the stall, but don’t use grab bars that attach with suction. Instead, have wall-mounted bars put in by someone who can affi x them to the wall studs. It’s also best to choose bars whose surfaces are slightly textured and easier to grip. Ensure railings are stable: Wherever he has steps – stairways, entryways or basements – he needs sturdy railings. Ideally, they should be on both sides of the steps. Prevent cooking fi res: There are several aff ordable products you can purchase to help your dad prevent home cooking fi res like BurnerAlert discs that attach to a stove’s knob and will continuously blink or beep after the stove has been in use for a preset amount of time, and Ome smart knobs that can control a stove’s heating settings from an app. Or you can invest in a more expensive iGuardStove sensor that shuts the stove off when it doesn’t detect motion for five minutes. Install smoke alarms: Install a smart smoke alarm in your dad’s house (buy one for each fl oor) that will alert him when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected. These smart devices will also send alerts to your phone to let you know when a problem is detected. Google Nest and First Alert both smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Add fire extinguishers: Get portable multipurpose fire extinguishers for each level of your dad’s house and in the garage. Consider a medical alert: To ensure your dad’s safety and provide you some peace of mind, consider getting him a medical alert device that comes with a wearable SOS button that would allow him to call for help if he were to fall or need assistance. For more tips, get a copy of AARP’s “HomeFit Guide” (see AARP.org/HomeFit), which has more than 100 aging-in-place suggestions that can help make your dad’s home safer and easier to live in. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 25,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by MASSterlist’s new editor, Erin Tiernan, with help from Matt Murphy. Both are pros, with a wealth of experience, who introduce each article in their own clever way. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https:// lp.constantcontactpages.com/ su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of March 20-24. $388.6 MILLION FISCAL 2023 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET (H 3548) House 153-0, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a $388.6 million fi scal 2023 supplemental budget. The House and Senate approved diff erent versions a few weeks ago, but last week they agreed on this new version. Provisions include $65 million for free school meals; $130 million to keep expanded nutrition assistance in place for a few more months; $2 million for the reimbursement of SNAP benefi ts for victims of benefi t theft; $250,000 for a free abortion-related legal hotline; $45 million for emergency shelter assistance; $40 million to support aff ordable housing for immigrants and refugees; and $2 million for the Boston branch of the NAACP for costs of some programs to be included in its 114th National NAACP Conference in 2023 in Boston. Other provisions keep some pandemic-era programs, set to expire, in place including allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails for take-out; expanding outdoor dining; and extending the authority, set to expire in a few weeks, for public bodies, agencies and commissions to hold their meetings remotely. “This supplemental budget ensures that our commonwealth continues to support the most vulnerable among us while also building on the lessons we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “I’m proud to say that the Legislature has proven once again that it has the courage to chart a course that leaves no place or person in the commonwealth behind.” “I’m proud that, among several critical investments, this supplemental budget provides support for many of the most vulnerable residents and communities in Massachusetts through funding for free school lunches, financial assistance to homeless shelters facing an increase in their migrant population and extended enhanced SNAP benefi ts,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “In partnership with the House, the Legislature has taken the necessary steps to keep the economy of the commonwealth on a fi rm footing as we continue to emerge from the pandemic,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The passage of this supplemental budget today utilizes robust tax revenues to its fullest eff ect, making substantial investments in economic development, housing, education and the social service safety net.” “This relatively modest supplemental budget addresses some of the most pressing needs the commonwealth is facing,” said House Committee on Ways and Means Chair Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston). “Whether it is ensuring that our school children have access to free meals, essential early childcare education grants or directing critical resources to deal with the infl ux of migrants coming into the commonwealth, these funds will have an immediate and positive eff ect for the residents of the state.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $388.6 million supplemental budget.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes $350 MILLION FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES (H 3547) House 153-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that includes authorizing $200 million in one-time funding for the maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges in cities and towns across the state. The $350 million package, a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds, also includes $150 million to pay for bus lane improvements, improvement of public transit, electric vehicles and other state transportation projects. Supporters said the funding will help cities and towns make their streets and bridges safer for all drivers and will improve the state’s public transportation system. They noted that this funding, known as Chapter 90, is relied on every year by local communities but noted that this is not the only source of local aid for cities and towns. Rep. Bill Strauss (D-Mattapoisett), the House chair of the Transportation Committee and the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call for a comment on passage of the measure. Déjà vu? Strauss did not respond last year to the same request on the 2022 funding for roads and bridges. Many local offi cials across the state continue to advocate for additional money to increase the funding and argue that the cost of repairing roads has increased by up to 40 percent but the state has kept this funding fl at at $200 million for the past 11 years. Geoff Beckwith, the executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, is one of the biggest advocates for more Chapter 90 funding above the $200 million. “With the construction season starting in a matter of days, local offi cials are asking lawmakers to enact the Chapter 90 bill as soon as possible so that these funds can go to work improving local roadways,” said Beckwith. He also urged additional funding beyond the $200 million. “With these funds secured as a base, cities and towns hope to work with the state on a long-range plan to off set the corrosive impacts of infl ation, which is making it impossible to bring all 30,000 miles of local roads into a state of good repair,” he said. (A “Yes” vote is for the $350 million package.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL DIZOGLIO AND THE AUDIT OF THE LEGISLATURE – State Auditor Diana DiZoglio announced a few weeks ago that she has launched an audit of BEACON | SEE Page 16

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