TMJ4: Wisconsin has a higher rate of falls than any other state. Local college students are working to change that while helping older people stay at home and age in place.
The new program, Driving Wellness Home, started with an idea from Fresh Meals on Wheels of Sheboygan County. CEO Kelly Anderson said volunteers drop off meals and do safety checks. They might notice red flags but need experts to step in. That’s why the non-profit asked Concordia University to help.
Sharon Chappy, dean of the nursing school, said they build on the trust the volunteers have already made with patients.
Nursing and pharmacy teachers and students go to the home first to go over the patients’ health history.
“A lot of it is de-prescribing, so a lot of patients have a lot of medication seeing if we can reduce the amount of load of the prescription therapy if it’s not needed,” said Emily Gomez, a fourth-year pharmacy student.
Gomez said getting out of the classroom and into homes has been eye-opening.
— Madelyne Arrigoni is a senior studying English, Mass Communications, and Photography. She plans to graduate in 2022.
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