Falls are a threat to the health of older adults and can reduce their ability to remain independent. However, falls don't have to be inevitable as you age. You can reduce your chance of falling or help a loved one prevent falls. There are proven ways to reduce and prevent falls, even for older adults. We identify older adults as anyone 65 years and older. ​Physical changes and health conditions — and sometimes the medications used to treat those conditions — make falls more likely as you age. In fact, falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults. Still, fear of falling doesn't need to rule your life. Instead, consider six simple fall prevention strategies.  ​1. Make an appointment with your health care provider Start by making an appointment with your health care provider. To assess your risk and discuss fall prevention strategies, your health care provider may want to talk about the following:   Your medications. Make a list of your prescription and nonprescription medications and supplements, or bring them with you to the appointment. Your health care provider can review your medications for side effects and interactions that may increase your risk of falling. To help with fall prevention, your health care provider may consider weaning you off medications that make you tired or affect your thinking, such as sedatives, antihistamines and some types of antidepressants.   Any previous falls. Write down the details, including when, where and how you fell. Be prepared to discuss instances when you almost fell but were caught by someone or managed to grab hold of something just in time. Details such as these may help your health care provider identify specific fall prevention strategies.   Your health conditions. Certain eye and ear disorders may increase your risk of falls. Be prepared to discuss your health conditions and how comfortable you are when you walk — for example, do you feel any dizziness, joint pain, shortness of breath, or numbness in your feet and legs when you walk? Your health care provider may evaluate your muscle strength, balance and walking style (gait) as well.   ​​2. Keep moving Physical activity can go a long way toward fall prevention. With your health care provider's OK, consider activities such as walking, water workouts or tai chi — a gentle exercise that involves slow and graceful dance-like movements. These activities reduce the risk of falls by improving strength, balance, coordination and flexibility. If you avoid physical activity because you're afraid it will make a fall more likely, tell your health care provider. Your provider may recommend carefully monitored exercise programs or refer you to a physical therapist. The physical therapist can create a custom exercise program aimed at improving your balance, flexibility and muscle strength. ​3. Wear sensible shoes Consider changing your footwear as part of your fall prevention plan. High heels, floppy slippers and shoes with slick soles can make you slip, stumble and fall. So can walking in your stocking feet. Instead, wear properly fitting, sturdy, flat shoes with nonskid soles. Sensible shoes may also reduce joint pain. ​4. Remove home hazards Take a look around your home for potential fall hazards. To make your home safer:   Remove boxes, newspapers, electrical cords and phone cords from walkways.   Move coffee tables, magazine racks and plant stands from high-traffic areas.   Secure loose rugs with double-faced tape, tacks or a slip-resistant backing — or remove loose rugs from your home.   Repair loose, wooden floorboards and carpeting right away.   Store clothing, dishes, food and other necessities within easy reach.   Immediately clean spilled liquids, grease or food.   Use nonslip mats in your bathtub or shower. Use a bath seat, which allows you to sit while showering.   ​​5. Light up your living space Keep your home brightly lit to avoid tripping on objects that are hard to see. Also:   Place night...

Falls Prevention

This week we discuss the dangers of impaired driving. &nbsp; Impaired driving poses significant dangers, leading to thousands of fatalities and injuries each year due to reduced coordination, judgment, and reaction times. Definition and Causes  Statistics         Effects of Impairment            Preventive Measures            Conclusion Impaired driving is a serious public safety issue that leads to numerous preventable deaths and injuries each year. By understanding the dangers and implementing effective preventive measures, we can work towards reducing the incidence of impaired driving and ensuring safer roads for everyone.

Dangers of Impaired Driving

Did you know that about half of all eye injuries happen right at home? Home activities that can injure your eyes include:  Cleaning. Chemicals like bleach in household cleaning products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year. Home Improvement. Screws, nails and hand tools can launch into the air—and into your eyes. Power tools can also send wood chips or other substances flying into the air. Yard Work. Lawn mowers, trimmers and even shovels can throw dirt and debris into the air. Branches, twigs and thorns can also be dangerous.   Unfortunately, only about three out of 10 people wear protective eyewear during home projects that could hurt their eyes. The good news? Simply wearing protective eyewear can reduce your risk for eye injury by 90 percent! The American Academy of Ophthalmology urges every household to have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear. &nbsp;(“ANSI-approved” means the protective eyewear is made to meet safety standards of the American National Standards Institute.)  In the house  Using dangerous chemicals such as oven cleaner and bleach (accidents involving common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year). Read the labels of chemicals and cleaners carefully, and don’t mix products. Cooking foods can that can splatter hot grease or oil. Use grease shields on frying pans to protect yourself from splattering. Opening champagne bottles during a celebration. Wrap a towel or cloth around the top of the bottle while unscrewing it to “catch” the cork. Never point a champagne bottle towards another person or yourself when opening it. Drilling or hammering screws or nails into walls or hard surfaces like brick or cement. The screws or nails can fly into the air, or fragments can come off the surface. Using hot objects such as curling irons around your face. Contact with your eyes can cause serious injury. Loose rugs and railings or other hazards that could cause falls or slips. Secure rugs with a non-slip pad underneath. Check to make sure railings are secure and not loose. Put padding on sharp corners and edges if you have children or the elderly in your house.   In the yard  Mowing the lawn. Check the lawn or the outdoor area first for sticks, rocks or other items that can fly out from under the mower. Using a power trimmer or edger. Clipping hedges and bushes. Playing sports.   In the garage or workshop  Using power or hand tools. Keep your tools in good condition; damaged tools should be repaired or replaced. Working with solvents or other chemicals. Make sure that all spray nozzles are directed away from you. Doing anything that can cause fragments or dust particles to fly around in the air. Tying down equipment or loads with bungee cords. Bungee cords are a serious danger to eyes when they snap back.    For all of these activities, remember that people nearby also face serious risk. Bystanders should wear eye protection too or leave the area where the chore is being done. This is particularly important for children who watch their parents do chores in and around the home. (CREDITS: American Academy of Ophthalmology)

Home Eye Safety

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S. It’s caused by harmful cells in your lungs growing unchecked. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation and targeted drugs. Screening is recommended if you’re at high risk. Advances in treatments have caused a significant decline in lung cancer deaths in recent years. ​ Lung cancer is a disease caused by uncontrolled cell division in your&nbsp;. Your cells divide and make more copies of themselves as a part of their normal function. But sometimes, they get changes (mutations) that cause them to keep making more of themselves when they shouldn’t. Damaged cells dividing uncontrollably create masses, or&nbsp;, of tissue that eventually keep your organs from working properly. Lung cancer is the name for cancers that start in your lungs — usually in the airways (&nbsp;or bronchioles) or small air sacs (alveoli).&nbsp;&nbsp;that start in other places and move to your lungs are usually named for where they start (your healthcare provider may refer to this as cancer that’s&nbsp;&nbsp;to your lungs). ​ There are many cancers that affect the lungs, but we usually use the term “lung cancer” for two main kinds: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. &nbsp;Other types of cancer can start in or around your lungs, including&nbsp;&nbsp;(cancer in your lymph nodes),&nbsp;&nbsp;(cancer in your bones or soft tissue) and&nbsp;&nbsp;(cancer in the lining of your lungs). These are treated differently and usually aren’t referred to as lung cancer.&nbsp;

Lung Cancer

Munticitis Beat

Ciara Dierking lost all of her limbs to infection and has needed to learn a whole new way of life.  But through this incredible loss, she has learned to be grateful like never before.

More Grateful Than Before

When it feels like everything you know is falling apart, where do you turn? Ciara Dierking lost her arms and legs in an infection. She turned to God’s Word as her ultimate source of wisdom to help her survive this tragedy. Learn how God’s Word can guide you through any situation.

Turning to God’s Word in a Tragedy

Nancy Hanks Lincoln, the mother of future President Lincoln, died from milk sickness in Spencer County, Indiana, in 1818, when young Abraham was only nine years old. Nancy died only days after providing care to other family members who had also succumbed to the illness. The Lincoln family’s experiences with milk sickness mirrored the challenges of thousands of other settlers who crossed the Appalachian Mountains seeking land and economic opportunity. Join us today for a discussion with a former KHS research fellow, who will discuss the medical, environmental, and social implications of milk sickness in antebellum America.

Dr. J. Matthew Ward is an assistant professor of history at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. He holds a PhD from Louisiana State University and is the author of Garden of Ruins: Occupied Louisiana in the Civil War, published in 2024 and available from LSU Press. Additionally, he serves on the board of the Quincy & Adams County Historical Society, as well as the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum.

Hosted by Dr. Allen A. Fletcher, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-re…earch-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, with support and guidance from Dr. Stephanie Lang. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary,” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
history.ky.gov/

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A Poor Cow at the Door | Dr. J. Matthew Ward

Sick

“Hazy Head” was born out of a moment when inspiration was supposed to strike… but didn’t. I was sick, feverish, and my mind felt completely foggy — the kind of state where every idea slips away before you can catch it. I sat down to write a song, but nothing came. No spark, no melodies, no clever lines. Just the soft hum of a tired brain.
So instead of fighting it, I decided to write about that exact feeling: the frustration of trying to create when your head is clouded and empty. A song about not being able to write a song — maybe a paradox, maybe just honesty. But the moment I accepted the “nothingness,” the music finally started to flow.
Sometimes the struggle becomes the story.

Lyrics:

“Hazy Head”

Woke up with a fever glow
blank page waiting, but the words won’t show
Every thought just slips away
guess my mind took off today

Trying to write, but I’m barely awake
Nothing to give, just a headache
Still I’m hoping something breaks through this fog

My head is hazy, ideas fading
chasing after sparks that keep escaping
If I can’t write a song tonight
I’ll sing the silence in my mind

Stuck in my… stuck in my head
Hazy mind… hazy instead
Beat it out… beat out the dead
Turn the fog… into a thread

Hazy… hazy head
no words left to be said
Hazy… hazy head
I’ll make a song from this instead

Hazy… hazy head
no words left to be said
Hazy… hazy head
I’ll make a song from this instead

Cold tea watching from the desk
knows my writer’s block the best
Maybe I don’t need much more 
one clear thought, that’s what I’m looking for

Trying to write, but I drift again
Fever humming like a friend
Maybe all I need is
just this haze

My head is hazy, ideas fading
chasing after sparks that keep escaping
If I can’t write a song tonight
I’ll sing the silence in my mind

Stuck in my… stuck in my head
Hazy mind… hazy instead
Beat it out… beat out the dead
Turn the fog… into a thread

Stuck in my… stuck in my head
Hazy mind… hazy instead
Beat it out… beat out the dead
Turn the fog… into a thread

Hazy… hazy head
no words left to be said
Hazy… hazy head
and still a melody ahead

Hazy Head

A weekly, peer to peer, healthcare insight podcast.

JensQ is where decades of digital curiosity meet the urge to say something real.
From '80s home computer bleeps to a genre-fluid mix of ambient, trance, retro, and alt-rock — if there's a rule, it's probably been bent.

Though JensQ rarely sings personally, today's tools provide expressive and believable vocals—allowing long-buried thoughts and feelings to finally surface through lyrics. Some tracks drift gently. Others hit harder. But all of them come from somewhere honest.

There are no tours, no backstage passes. Just one person in a small studio, building sonic worlds for curious ears. Music is crafted quietly but shared loudly—reaching listeners across every continent (except Antarctica, pending confirmation from any penguin fans).

Whether you're drawn to digital nostalgia, emotional storytelling, or just good electronic music with a pulse, there's something here for you. Dive in. Get lost. Stay a while.

We educate and engage the public through KY’s history in order to meet the challenges of the future.

I express my feelings, emotions and thoughts through my music

New tracks tagged #illness