My Aging Dad

10/17/2026

Sent home from the ER after a fall? Here's what older adults and their families told researchers.

A study published October 8 in BMC Geriatrics, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, talked with 11 people aged 75 and older who were sent home from the emergency room after a fall, and with some of their relatives. Many found it hard to get rehab afterward, and the fear of falling stuck around. But many also bounced back and managed everyday life, often with help from family.

It was a small group sharing their own stories, so it can't tell us how common that is. My takeaway: families are often stronger than they expect, and a clear plan makes it easier. Before leaving the ER, ask who will follow up and how to get rehab if it's needed.

If someone falls and is hurt, can't get up, or hits their head, call 911.

Need help planning for home? Call 239-233-1121 or visit myagingdad.org.

— Anna June Schug, Occupational Therapist

Source: BMC Geriatrics (Springer Nature), Oct 8, 2026: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-026-08418-2

10/16/2026

Is Dad happier at home? New research suggests the people around him matter a lot.

A study published October 7 in Scientific Reports asked 394 older adults at a hospital in Turkey about growing older in their own homes, and about their happiness. People who felt good about living at home tended to be happier, and the connection was a strong one. Having people they could actually turn to for help mattered most. Physical ability mattered less.

This was a one-time survey, so it shows a link, not proof that one causes the other. But it fits what I see as an occupational therapist: home works best when help is within reach. Grab bars matter. So do the neighbor who checks in, the weekly phone call, and the ride to church.

Want help building that support around your parent? Call 239-233-1121 or visit myagingdad.org.

— Anna June Schug, Occupational Therapist

Source: Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio), Oct 7, 2026: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-72793-4

10/15/2026

Fear of falling can quietly shrink a parent's world. New research says confidence can be built back.

A study published October 5 in BMC Geriatrics worked with 110 older adults living at home in Iran. Some got a 12-week coaching program, and the others got their usual care. By the end, the coached group felt more confident about not falling, took better care of themselves, and said their quality of life improved.

It was a small study in one region, and the report doesn't say how big the improvements were. Still, it's a hopeful sign.

As an occupational therapist, I see how much fear can hold people back at home. Building confidence through learning and practice is what our Steady & Strong class is about.

If someone falls and is hurt, can't get up, or hits their head, call 911.

Call 239-233-1121 or visit myagingdad.org.

— Anna June Schug, Occupational Therapist

Source: BMC Geriatrics (Springer Nature), Oct 5, 2026: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-026-08397-4

10/12/2026

If you're worried about Mom or Dad staying safe at home, you're not alone.

In a 2026 survey of more than 2,200 adults 65 and older, reported by HousingWire, "nearly 70%" reportedly face challenges staying safely and independently in their homes, "up 4 percentage points from 2025." That's what people report, not the cause.

The answer isn't giving up on home. It's adding support. A Swedish study in BMC Geriatrics found that patients 75 and older who got a short-term home health program after leaving the hospital had fewer 90-day readmissions: "20.3% in the intervention group and 33.6% among controls." The authors call it exploratory, since it was observational and small, but it's an encouraging link.

And on October 9, HHS announced "up to $27.8 million over three years" for falls prevention, including "$1,940,000" to The Oasis Institute in St. Ann, MO.

If someone falls and is hurt, can't get up, or hits their head, call 911.

Call 239-233-1121 or visit myagingdad.org.

— Anna June Schug, Occupational Therapist

Sources: HousingWire, Sept 10, 2026: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/seniors-aging-in-place-challenges-worsen-alignment-health-2026-survey/ ; BMC Geriatrics, Oct 6, 2026: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-026-08367-w ; HHS, Oct 9, 2026: https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-awards-27-million-falls-prevention-older-adults.html

10/11/2026

When muscle slips, falls tend to repeat.

A study published October 7 in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology looked at 170 adults 60 and older in Japan with joint and bone conditions. People with sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and function) had about four times the odds of having fallen more than once in the past year. This study shows a link, not proof that muscle loss causes falls.

Here's the hopeful part. A major Cochrane review of "110 studies involving 48,919 older people" found that complex, personalized programs offered no added benefit over falls advice or education. Its co-lead author said simple education and encouraging exercise have "potentially the most benefit in falls prevention."

That's exactly what our Steady & Strong class is built on: learn the risks, build strength and balance, and practice at home.

If someone falls and is hurt, can't get up, or hits their head, call 911.

Call 239-233-1121 or visit myagingdad.org.

— Anna June Schug, Occupational Therapist

Sources: Journal of Physiological Anthropology, Oct 7, 2026: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40101-026-00453-7 ; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Sept 2026: https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD012221_do-multifactorial-approaches-those-tailored-persons-individual-risk-factors-or-multiple-component

10/10/2026

Every person in this study was walking on their own before they broke a hip. After surgery, fewer than half were walking independently when they left the hospital.

A study published October 6 in Scientific Reports followed patients from 19 acute-care hospitals in Japan: "Among the 2,014 patients included in the final analysis, 38.2% regained independent walking ability at discharge." That's measured at discharge. Recovery often keeps going in rehab and at home.

As an occupational therapist, this is why I talk so much about preventing the fall in the first place. A few places to start: clear walkways, good lighting on the way to the bathroom at night, and regular strength and balance practice. And if a fracture does happen, plan for support at home in the weeks after.

If someone falls and is hurt, can't get up, or hits their head, call 911.

Want help making your parent's home safer? Call 239-233-1121 or visit myagingdad.org.

— Anna June Schug, Occupational Therapist

Source: Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio), Oct 6, 2026: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73542-3

05/09/2026

Everyone in senior care talks about safety.

Grab bars. Fall prevention. Risk reduction. Hazard elimination.

All of it is important. None of it is the point.

The point — the actual reason any of it matters — is freedom.

The freedom to wake up in your own bedroom and not someone else's facility.
The freedom to make your own coffee at whatever time you want.
The freedom to sit in your own garden, watch your own street, sleep in your own bed.
The freedom to be, at 80 years old, still the author of your own day.

That is what an Occupational Therapist actually protects.

Not just the body. The life.

An OT doesn't show up at your parent's home with a checklist of things to eliminate. They show up with one question: what does this person love about their life — and how do we make sure they can keep living it?

That's the work. That's always been the work.

At My Aging Dad, our occupational therapists are not safety inspectors. They are independence architects. They assess, advise, modify, coach, and plan — so that your parent's home becomes the place where their freedom is protected for years longer than anyone thought possible.

This is not about surviving at home.

This is about thriving there.

📞 (239) 233-1121
🌐 myagingdad.org

What does independence mean to your parent? Tell us in the comments. We want to know. 👇

05/09/2026

Let's get something straight.

Your aging parent is not the problem.

They are not fragile. They are not incompetent. They are not failing.

Their home is failing them.

Homes are built for people in their 30s and 40s. Bathtubs designed for someone who can step over a 20-inch wall. Light switches positioned for someone 5'10". Cabinets built for someone with a full range of motion. Stairs that assume two strong legs and perfect balance.

That design works great — for about 60 years. Then it starts working against the person who lives there.

Your parent isn't falling because they're weak.
They're falling because their bathroom was designed by someone who never thought about what 78 feels like.

This is the problem an Occupational Therapist solves.

An OT is not there to tell your parent what they can no longer do. They are there to redesign the environment so your parent can keep doing everything they love.

Wider doorways. Lever handles instead of k***s. Grab bars precisely placed for your parent's specific height and grip strength. Better lighting for aging eyes. A shower that doesn't require the balance of an athlete to use safely.

The environment changes. The person doesn't have to.

Our parents aren't failing their homes. Their homes have been failing them all along.

We fix that.

📞 (239) 233-1121
🌐 myagingdad.org

Share this if you think it's time we stopped blaming people for getting older — and started fixing the world around them. 👇

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

Here's to the ones who refuse.

The 79-year-old who still tends her garden every morning, even though her knees have other opinions.

The 84-year-old who insists on cooking Sunday dinner for the whole family — and means it.

The man who built his home with his own hands 50 years ago and will not, under any circumstances, be told it's time to leave it.

The woman who still drives herself to book club every Thursday, still calls her grandchildren without being reminded, still runs her own life exactly the way she always has.

These people are not problems to be managed.

They are not risks to be mitigated.

They are not burdens. They are not frail. They are not done.

They are exactly who an Occupational Therapist is trained to serve.

Because an OT doesn't look at an aging person and see limitations. They look at an aging person and see a life worth fighting for — and then they get to work making the environment match the person, not the other way around.

At My Aging Dad, this is what we believe:

Aging is not a decline to be managed.
It is a life to be lived — fully, independently, on your own terms.

Our job is to make sure the home, the plan, and the support are all in place to make that possible.

For as long as possible.

For your parent. For your family. For the life they've built and still deserve.

📞 (239) 233-1121
🌐 myagingdad.org

Tag a parent or grandparent who refuses to slow down. This one's for them. 💚