Assistive devices and planning can make aging on farm safer – InForum

People who grew up on farms, live on farms, and work on farms often don’t like the idea of ​​leaving the farm when they get older.

“They want to farm until they’re 99 years old, or at least participate in it,” said Randon Lovering, an assistive technology consultant with North Dakota Assistive, a nonprofit that works to get assistive technology and services to North Dakotans and Minnesotans of all ages who need it.

Keeping people in their own homes as they age is cheaper than nursing homes or nursing homes, both for residents and taxpayers, Lovering said. Equally important, staying in place allows people to maintain social connections and continue to live in an environment that is more familiar to them. She said people get the most satisfaction out of living at home, which means it can be better in terms of mental health.

Emily Kreckelberg, a professor of farm safety and health at the University of Minnesota, said staying on the farm is an important lifestyle choice for many people.

“The (Upper Midwest Center for Agricultural Safety and Health) did a survey of aging farmers, and their No. 1 priority is aging on the farm,” she said. “As someone with aging parents, and as someone who’s also aging — you know, maybe against my will — you know, we have to remember that people want to stay where they’re entitled to, and we see that they will be much more successful in life if they can stay where they want to be.”

But sometimes life at home — especially when the home is also a farm — can be dangerous.

According to the US Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, 45.9% of North Dakotans age 65 and older live in rural areas, as do 34.1% of Minnesotans age 65 and older, 54.2% of Montanans age 65 and over and 48.5% % of South Dakota residents age 65 and over.

Since most of the region is considered rural, this does not necessarily equate to the percentage living on farms. But many are aging on farms, and North Dakota State University Extension and the University of Minnesota have received a grant from the Upper Midwest Center for Agricultural Safety and Health to try to spread the word about how to keep elderly farm residents safer. .

A collaboration between NDSU, UM and UMASH — with the help of outside groups like North Dakota Assistive — offers help so people can stay on the farm longer and safely.

“Our agriculture industry in North Dakota is definitely older, right?” said Angie Johnson, North Dakota State University’s farm and ranch safety coordinator, noting that the average age of farmers in the U.S. is 58, and that in North Dakota it is nearly 57. “These numbers are not going down.”

Kreckelberg and Johnson took their Aging on the Farm presentation to farm shows over the summer, including Minnesota Farmfest and the Big Iron Farm Show. They had a variety of handrails and anti-slip stickers on display to help prevent falls, a major concern for seniors both on and off the farm. Krekelberg said falls are responsible for sending people to the emergency room and can even be fatal.

“We really want to show people how simple and easy it can be to install fall protection, you know, low budget, low manpower, just to make things a little bit safer on the farm,” Kreckelberg said.

Common places to look for fall protection include places with only one or two steps or a variable surface. She thinks of the move to get into the dairy house on her home farm as an example of a place where the pen can help.

“I also know that on many of our older farms, the feedlots had closed doors, so there’s a ridge to get over. And you know as you get older, sometimes just having that little bit of extra grip to keep you steady when you’re taking that step can go a long way,” she said.

Textured walking safety aids like duct tape can also help make slippery surfaces a little less treacherous, she says, and are an affordable and easy solution.

Lovering said North Dakota Assistive’s senior safety program can help identify things like bed rails, shower rails, handrails, emergency response systems and personal hearing amplifiers — “anything to help keep the home safe.”

According to her, people with low incomes or residents of rural areas are considered a priority for the program.

Johnson said fall prevention is a lesson that should be learned early in life so that the practices that make being on farms safer are automatic. Climbing in and out of equipment using three points of contact and using fall protection on grain bins is important practice for all ages.

“So really, how do we learn these habits in early childhood? So when we start to have some decline in muscle memory and other issues with our mobility, we can make sure that we practice safe practices so that we can stay put and stay on our farms,” she said.

Kreckelberg and Johnson also demonstrated tools for eye and hearing protection. Krekelberg said hearing and vision loss are part of the aging process, but can also significantly alter quality of life.

“A few people said, ‘Well, my hearing is already gone, so I don’t need hearing protection.’ Yes, you know. You know, if your hearing is already impaired, you need it the most because we don’t want it to get worse,” she said.

And vision is vital for many tasks on the farm, Kreckelberg said, including reading labels on pesticides or medicines. According to her, magnifying glasses will help with this.

Lovering said there are also devices that can make farm work easier for people with physical disabilities. She did an assessment with one farmer who needed a lift to help him get into tractors and combines. North Dakota Assistive worked with North Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation and

Agricultural capacity

to obtain the appropriate equipment. The farmer also started using a golf cart to get around more easily.

Sometimes such functional solutions are not just for people who can’t do a task, but to make it easier to do the task, Lovering said. Using devices such as a tractor lift or even something simpler such as devices to assist with dressing can give them more energy to do other tasks and enjoy life.

Lovering said calls for help often come from family members and caregivers rather than people in need.

Krekelberg admits that talking about making changes to make farms safer for seniors can be difficult.

“We don’t want to tell dad we want to put handrails on him, do we? But have those difficult conversations now so you don’t have to have them when your loved one is in the hospital and you’re making decisions about where they’re going to live,” she said.

“These are really, really difficult conversations,” Johnson agreed. “My dad had to have these conversations with his dad, my grandfather, before he died. And I know these are conversations that our farmers and farm families are having, and they’re tough.”

She said it’s important to start conversations early rather than waiting until problems arise.

“We need to get them early so that both parties, both individuals, have a say in how we move forward,” Johnson said.

It also involves not only talking to each other, but also talking to health workers about changing health conditions, changing restrictions, and delegating some tasks to other people on the farm. Focus on abilities, not disabilities, she said.

“We can still work on the farm, but maybe we’ll just find another task for you,” she said.

Lovering said anyone can contact North Dakota Assistive to learn about assistive technology that can help make farms safer. Website of the organization,

contains program information and contact information. In addition, North Dakota Assistive works with other organizations to find grants and other assistance to make the devices more affordable.

Johnson said talking about safety is important, regardless of the age of the people involved, and it’s important to not just ask older people on farms to make changes. Instead, it’s important that everyone practices doing things right from an early age so that it becomes the way things are done throughout life.

“We can’t stress that enough, and by making sure we’re having these conversations, we’re also role models for these types of behaviors. You know, if we want our children, our grandchildren and others to take over the next generation of the farm, we have to make sure that we not only prioritize safety, but actively practice it so that these skills can be passed on throughout life.” , she said.