Sudbury company offers hazard prevention for seniors
"There's no place like home,'' gushes Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz,'' and the majority of senior citizens apparently agrees with her.
Studies have shown that more than 80 percent of seniors want to live in their homes.
But that desire should come with a warning label, according to Monte Kroner, since many of these seniors are unaware of the increased hazards of living in their homes.
"As life expectancy increases, greater numbers of individuals will be at risk for accidents,'' says Kroner. ``The fact is most homes and apartments are not designed for the needs of people over 65.''
To help seniors identify and rectify these potential hazards, Kroner has founded Safe Homes for Seniors LLC. The Sudbury-based company conducts safety analyses of homes and recommends steps designed to prevent accidents from happening. The company can either implement the preventative measures itself or hire contractors to perform the service. It also sells safety products for the home. These products can be purchased whether an analysis is requested or not.
Korner cites government statistics to show that safety precautions are needed. For example, more than one third of people over 65 fall each year and more than 1.6 million are treated in emergency rooms, resulting from accidents in the home. The annual cost for treatment exceeds $2 billion.
"Individuals with vision, hearing and mobility conditions are at the greatest risk,'' says Kroner. "That is why a consultation with Safe Homes for Seniors can help identify potential hazards and offer solutions for a better quality of life.''
Kroner launched the company last month after working more than 30 years in retail, most recently as the owner of Creative Camera in Maynard and Acton. ``(Retail) was getting tedious and stressful. I saw no real future in it. I was just plodding along so I decided to sell my shops.'' Though the camera store in Maynard has since closed, the store in Acton remains open.
After the sale, Kroner had arrived at the proverbial career crossroads. ``What's a man like myself going to get into when he's been doing retail his whole life? But I've been dealing with people and I love dealing with people, being with them and associating with them. I especially had a strong affection for the elderly who were coming into my shop.''
The subject also cut close to home for Kroner, literally. ``I remember back about 10 years ago when my mother was going through Alzheimer's,'' Kroner recalls. ``She lived in a house in Newton by herself, the house we grew up in, and she wanted to stay there. So my brother and I decided to make the house safer for her - moving furniture out of the way, getting rid of scatter rugs, making sure there was bright enough light, making it easier for her and making us feel a little more comfortable as well.''
Kroner began investigating and researching the concept that would become Safe Homes for Seniors.
``As I was putting the idea together, it received positive feedback,'' says the Sudbury resident. ``There are plenty of health care agencies that come in and do the other aspects - medicines, bathing, companionship, shopping. I could do something that would make their life easier because it would be easier for the caregiver not to have to worry as much about someone falling. It would make the life of the people living in their home easier, too.''
For its analysis, Safe Homes for Seniors visits seniors in their homes and conducts a comprehensive safety assessment, according to Kroner. ``This assessment covers everything from the outside entrances, stairs, halls and individual rooms throughout the house,'' he says. In addition, the company will discuss a client's personal needs and daily routine and will help develop a plan in case of emergencies.
The final step is to present the findings of the assessment and make recommendations on how to correct potential hazardous conditions. The fee for an analysis is $85 an hour.
Recommendations are provided in writing so that customers have the opportunity to study them and decide if they want to implement them. The company can assist customers with any recommendations through its network of licensed professionals who can provide electrical, plumbing, carpentry and contracting services where needed.
Safe Homes for Seniors works closely with many manufacturers and providers of safety equipment and services so that the company can offer discounts on many of the products and services.
Its recommendations consist of three main categories:
Adaptations. These are features that can be easily changed, often at no cost. For example, moving extension cords or removing slippery scatter rugs.
Modifications. These are structural changes designed to assist senior citizens and would involve the use of professional services. For example, entrance ramps or chairlifts.
Personal devices. Safety or alarm devices that can alert help in the case of emergency.
The company also offers its services to senior groups interested in providing safety information to its members with safety seminars and speaking engagements.
"We discuss the most common safety concerns for older Americans and how to prepare for a safer and happier retirement,'' says Kroner. ``We have compiled free contact listings of both government- and community-based agencies with a wealth of information on safety for seniors. As we all get older, we need to be aware of our surroundings and plan for a safer life.''
Typical home safety problems, according to Kroner, include clutter, scatter rugs, step stools, overloaded extension cords, dim lighting, dark curtains over windows and sharp edges on tables. A clear access from the bedroom to the bathroom is particularly important, says Kroner, because many falls occur during the middle of the night. ``We install night lights to brighten up that area,'' he says.
Kroner has a safety checklist of more than 100 items. ``And I keep adding to it as one thing leads to another,'' he says.
Products to make home life easier can be as simple and inexpensive as a tacky sleeve slipped over a doorknob. ``That way people with arthritis would have an easier time opening and closing doors,'' says Kroner.
Other products include glow tape for light switches, telephones and the edges of hardwood stairs, large number telephones, medical alert bracelets, toilet seat extensions, easy key turners, pill organizers, chairlifts, lightweight wheelchairs, modular and removable wheelchair ramps and safety bars. ``And not just for the bathroom, but in every strategic part of the home,'' says Kroner.
Products are sold a la carte. They are now available during home visits, though shortly they can be bought on the company's Web site.
As he markets his business, Kroner is sending mailings to home health agencies and senior centers as well as networking, advertising and attending seminars and conventions.
``The networking part is very important,'' he says. ``The people in the industry need to know who I am. The more familiar they are with me the more comfortable they'll be in recommending me. They'll have me in their database so when a house needs help they'll call me.''
Kroner also wants to reach out to the children of seniors. ``For many seniors, to let people into their homes is hard to do, that's why I'm marketing to children,'' he says. ``Also, sometimes the seniors are blind to what is wrong so I recommend the changes to their children.''
Since its Labor Day launch, Safe Homes for Seniors has had about a dozen clients, according to Kroner. Solutions have ranged for putting in safety bars to removing poisons from the kitchen. For the service, he focuses on the MetroWest and surrounding areas.
The feedback so far, according to Kroner, has been positive. ``That is part of the joy in doing it,'' he says. ``That's what stimulates me and keeps me going.''
Bob Tremblay can be reached at btremblay@cnc.com or 508-626-4409. _____________________________________________________
SAFE HOMES FOR SENIORS LLC
Founder and CEO: Monte Kroner
Employees: One full time, one part time
Industry: Senior health care
Company background: Based in Sudbury, Safe Homes for Seniors LLC is a safety analysis and prevention service designed to help older adults identify potential hazards in their homes. Its Web address is www.safehomesforseniors.com.