Maggie is 74-years-old living alone with chronic pain, arthritis, a heart arrhythmia, and has very limited mobility due to edema in her legs. Maggie requires a wheelchair to get around and three steep steps on her front porch make it difficult to leave her home. This has affected her ability to attend medical appointments and put her at risk of being placed in a nursing facility. She was referred to Partners’ Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) to keep her safe and independent at home. During the initial home assessment conducted by a Partners’ care manager, they identified potential safety issues. Partners’ MSSP provided her with non-slip bathmats, emergency response devices, and installed grab bars and bed rails in both her bathroom and bedroom to prevent falls. MSSP also referred Maggie to Partners’ Community Wellness Matter of Balance workshops for older adults with a history of falls. The workshop taught her exercises she could do at home to increase strength and improve balance. Partners’ MSSP enabled Maggie to re-engage with her community, attend scheduled medical appointments, avoid nursing home placement, and most importantly, be more independent at home.
To learn more about the Multipurpose Senior Services Program and to refer someone, visit: https://www.picf.org/innovations-at-work/safety-net-services/multipurpose-senior-services-program-mssp/
To learn more about our Community Wellness Falls Prevention workshops, visit: https://www.picf.org/innovations-at-work/enhanced-community-wellness/fall-prevention/
