Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023 THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 13 by Jim Miller Ji Simple Home Safety Solutions for Aging-in-Place Si l H S 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 fires, 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 fixtures, 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 S l i 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 fires: There are several affordable 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 fi ve 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, geta copy of AARP’s “HomeFit Guide” (see AARP.org/HomeFit), which has more than 100 aging-inplace 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. Saugus Historical Society reflects on Roby One of the most well-known figures locally of the Revolutionary War era was the Parson, Joseph Roby. He was said to carry his rifl e under one arm and his Bible under the other, and he was among the group of men who went from here to the Battles of Lexington and Concord on the 19th of April in 1775. Roby served his congregation in Saugus for 51 years during some very interesting times. Laura Eisener will be speaking about him at the next meeting of the Saugus Historical Society on April 12 at 7 p.m. at 30 Main St. As always, the public is invited free of charge and light refreshments will be served. The program will also be fi lmed for Saugus TV. Seeking Hall of Fame nominations Do you know of a former Saugus High School athlete who deserves to be inducted into the Saugus High School Sports Hall of Fame? If you do, nominations are open for the Hall of Fame from now until March 28. There have been 263 athletes inducted since the Hall of Fame’s inception (1987). The Hall of Fame’s fi rst class included Arthur Spinney, a Saugus High football great who played for two NFL championship teams with the Baltimore Colts in 1958 and 1959. A Saugus High athlete has to be out of school for at least 10 years before he or she can be nominated. Anyone looking to nominate a former Saugus High athlete can mail their letter of nomination to Barbara Wall at 28 Pleasant St., Saugus, MA 01906. SAVE 2023 Environmental Scholarship Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) is very pleased to announce that it is off ering a $1,000 Environmental Scholarship to Saugus residents of the graduating Class of 2023 or to Saugus residents r who are currently fi rst-year college attendees. This is a scholarship for students who will be orare attending a two/four-year r college or other educational institution and pursuing a degree in an area that would positively impact the environment. Applicants can download the SAVE 2023 Environmental Scholarship Application Form found at www.saugusSAVE.org. Together with the completed application form, please include a separate sheet (identifi ed with your initials only) that provides a summary of any of your activities relating to the environment and describe how you feel your career choice will positively impact the environment. Please email (preferred method) your application — no later than midnight on April 21, 2023 — to: SAVE Co-President Ann Devlin at adevlin@aisle10. net or mail your application (postmarked by April 21, 2023) to: SAVE, P.O. Box 908, Saugus, MA 01906. Again, the deadline to submit your application is April 21, 2023. Bingo is back! The Kowloon Restaurant announced Bingo every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hong Kong Lounge. Prizes will be given away each week with a grand prize set at the fi nale in March. A full Chinese gourmet spread is available during Bingo — featuring pupu platters, egg rolls, crab Rangoons, Saugus Wings, General Gau’s chicken, lobster sauce, fried scallops, lo mein, moo shi pork, salt and pepper calamari and sushi — along with a full bar menu, including the signature mai tais and scorpion bowls. Celebrating the Saugus High band The Saugus Historical Society is planning its spring season of programs. A new exhibit opened in March. The exhibit features Saugus High School Band memorabilia from several time periods and some Color Day posters recently donated to the society. Anyone who was a band member at any time, or who had an ancestor who was a band member, is invited to share some of their memories. Please call Saugus Historical Society President Laura Eisener at 781-231-5988 to share your story. “We are looking for some anecdotes and stories from people involved in Saugus High School Band at any time,” Laura says. “The Historical Society is putting together a display of band uniforms, parents’ jackets, photos etc. which will be ready by the fi rst meeting in the Spring,” she said. Food Pantry notes: The Saugus United Parish Food Pantry is open today (Friday, March 31) from 9:3011 a.m. Veterans bricks available The Saugus War Monument Committee, once again, is sponsoring the Buy A Brick Program to honor all those who have served their country. If you would like to purchase one in the name of someone who is presently serving or has served, in the memory of a loved one, or just for someone from your family, school, etc., the general pricing is $100 for a 4” x 8” brick (three lines) or $200 for an 8” X 8” brick (fi ve lines). Each line is a maximum of 15 characters. The improvement and upkeep of the monument on the corner of Winter and Central Streets rely on the generosity of donors through fundraising. The brick application must be in by Sept. 15 to ensure the bricks will be ready for Veterans Day. Please contact Corinne Riley at 781-231-7995 for more information and applications. “Shout Outs” to several Saugonians It’s always great to have more than one “Shout Out” in this column. This week, we have three. Julie Cicolini off ered this one: “To the students of the Saugus High School National Honor Society for their commitment to volunteering in the community each week. “These students, under the direction of Michelle Lee, are volunteering with Healthy Students-Healthy Saugus (HS2) every week assembling over 100 bags of food. (Check out their Instagram account @nhssaugus) “HS2 appreciates their commitment to volunteering in their community and partnership with HS2 to help overcome food insecurity.” Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Jeanie Bartolo offered two “shout outs” for this week’s paper. “The fi rst ‘Shout Out’ is for Done Right Landscaping company, thanking them for the beautiful Spring cleanup they did at the rotary in Cliftondale Square. They did a beautiful job, it looks so nice! Thank you so much!” “The second ‘Shout Out’ is a sad one. U.S. Navy Veteran and past State and District 10 VFW Commander Stan King passed away March 14th at age 79. Stan was a wonderful man, he always had a great big smile, a hug and kind words for me whenever I saw him. A true gentleman. He and his wife Pat were dedicated to helping Veterans. He will be sorely missed by all of us who knew and loved him. Rest in Peace my friend.” Want to “Shout Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out — in a brief mention — remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@comcast.net) with a mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo.
15 Publizr Home