Rotarian Nancy Morris introduced our guest speaker. Daria Zmiyiwsky is the General Manager at Nurse Next Door, a premier home care agency in Winnipeg launched this past spring during COVID19. Daria oversees all areas of the operation from hiring, training, marketing and sales, promotions and caring consults with clients as well as caring for clients.
Daria has held various positions with Sun Media/ Postmedia - in Winnipeg, Southern Ontario and back to Winnipeg. Daria’s move back to Winnipeg was for professional reasons as well as to care (with two sisters) for her aging mother whose fall in 2018 eventually led to her death in 2019. Daria’s purpose has become helping the aging population.
Born and raised in Winnipeg and a graduate from University of Winnipeg, Daria is a past Rotarian from two clubs in D5550 - Dryden and Winnipeg West. Daria was awarded a Paul Harris award from the Winnipeg West club. Daria is married to Chiropractor Oleh Zmiyiwsky (also a Rotarian and past president), with two children - Andrew and Mira and one grandchild - Benedict.
Daria and her twin Shawna are co-owners of bellaBALAS, a woman’s fashion design company. Daria enjoys lake life fishing, hunting and mushroom picking.
Daria’s presentation covered three areas – identifying factors that lead to falls, how to prevent falls and how to get up properly if you do fall. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among seniors with one in four seniors (aged 65+) experiencing a fall at least once a year – women fall more often than men, and more often have osteoporosis. Causes of falls include poor balance, decreased muscle and bone strength, reduced vision or hearing, and unsafe conditions in and around the home. A checklist of ways to prevent falls in different areas of one’s home include the following:
Your home exterior — Keep front steps and walkway in good repair and free of snow, ice and leaves; Keep front entrance well lit; Put garden tools such as hoses and rakes away when not using them.
Living room and bedroom — Reduce clutter! Get rid of loose wires and cords as well as any other obstacles; Consider using a cordless phone to avoid rushing to answer; Have good lighting throughout the house and Install night lights; Make sure the path is clear between the bedroom and bathroom; Get rid of scatter mats or make sure they are non-slip.; Get out of your bed or chair slowly because moving suddenly can make you dizzy.
Kitchen — Store kitchen supplies and pots and pans in easy-to-reach locations; store heavy items in lower cupboards; always wipe up any spills immediately to prevent slipping; if you use floor wax, use the non-skid kind.
Stairs — Make sure your stairs are well lit; install solid handrails on both sides of the stairway; remove your reading glasses when you go up and down the stairs; don’t ever rush up or down the stairs - it’s a major cause of falls.
Bathroom — Ensure you have non-slip surfaces for the tub and shower; install well-anchored grab bars by the toilet and bath to help you sit and stand; use a raised toilet seat, and a bath seat in the shower, if you need them; keep the floor clear of water or obstacles.
External factors that can lead to a fall include: Taking four or more medications, poor lighting, unstable chairs, steep stairs, loose carpets and lack of bathroom safety equipment.
Internal factors that can lead to a fall include: Weakness/ tightness in limbs, low blood pressure, macular degeneration, peripheral neuropathy, neurological diseases, diabetes, osteoarthritis of the knees or hips and osteoporosis.
What to do if you fall: Don’t panic, remain calm, don’t try to get up if you feel you are injured.
What to do if you’re hurt: Use emergency alarm or call 911, move to a soft surface, keep your arms and legs moving, keep yourself warm until help arrives, keep yourself hydrated.
During the Q & A following Daria’s presentation, we learned that
- a risk assessment can be carried out using preventative care and having a nurse do a wellness check on a client
- as a tourist in unfamiliar territory, using a cell phone as a GPS is safe only if you stop walking, and
- taking care of clients during COVID-19 is very difficult because of restrictions on what a caregiver can and cannot do.
President Doug thanked Daria for all her hints and information for staying safe.
