By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 No. Bed and chair alarms have not been shown to prevent falls. A Cochrane review of the trial evidence found the effect uncertain and rated the quality as very low, and no randomized trial of alarms used on their own has shown a significant…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 For someone whose main goal is fall protection, a dedicated medical alert system is the safer choice and it’s not especially close. The deciding difference isn’t the gadget; it’s what happens after a fall. A medical alert connects to a 24/7 monitoring center staffed…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 Sundowning is the pattern of increased confusion, agitation, or anxiety that appears in the late afternoon and evening in people with dementia. It happens mainly because dementia damages the brain’s internal clock, and it’s made worse by end-of-day tiredness, low light, and unmet needs…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 For most seniors, a walk-in (roll-in) shower is the safer, more practical choice. It’s cheaper to run, works for wheelchairs, stays usable as mobility declines, and is easier for a caregiver to help with. A walk-in tub genuinely wins for one specific person: someone…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 We don’t earn a commission on this page. Product assessments draw on occupational-therapist guidance and independent reviews, and we list the genuine drawbacks of each type. The most important decision isn’t which brand, it’s which type. If your parent can’t safely step over the…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 For balance, sometimes. For holding your weight in a fall, no. This is the distinction that matters, because getting it wrong can put someone on the bathroom floor. Suction grab bars stick to the wall with vacuum cups, not screws, so they can pop…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public Health Last reviewed: July 2026 For most older adults, no, and this is a genuine reversal of what was believed a decade ago. In 2024, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviewed the latest evidence and recommended against taking vitamin D to prevent falls in community-dwelling adults 60…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 A dementia diagnosis by itself doesn’t mean someone must stop driving that day. In early stages, many people still drive safely for a time, and clinical guidelines reflect that. What matters is observed ability, not the label. The person should stop when specific warning…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 The honest answer is that it depends on one number: how many hours of help your parent needs each week. Below roughly 40 hours a week, aging in place is almost always cheaper. Above it and especially at round-the-clock care assisted living usually wins…
By Simon Peter Lokomo, MPH — Public HealthLast reviewed: July 2026 No, and any product promising otherwise is overselling. What they actually do is narrower and still valuable: a door alarm tells you the moment someone leaves, and a GPS tracker gives searchers a place to start instead of a blank map. Researchers who’ve reviewed…