My Mobility Plan_Tribal

My Mobility Plan
What can you do to
stay independent?
As we age, we can share wisdom and history with
our families and communities. We can help future
generations protect their own physical, spiritual,
emotional, and mental health. Keeping safe and
maintaining our own health can help our family
and tribal community in meaningful ways.
Physical changes over time can affect our
mobility—our ability to get around. These changes
can make it harder to do things we want or need to
do—like driving, shopping, doing household chores,
and seeing our loved ones.
We can plan ahead for these changes to stay
safe and independent longer. You might not have
mobility problems now, but you could in the future.
You may know others who already do—perhaps a
parent, relative, tribal member, or friend. You—or
your loved ones—can take steps today that will
help you stay safe and independent tomorrow.
The MyMobility Plan is a tool to help you plan for
those changes and take action now. This planning
guide includes checklists, tips, and resources to
help you stay safe and mobile in the years to come.
You can work through the plan by yourself or with
your healthcare provider, family member, tribal
member, or friend.

There may come a
time when you can
no longer drive,
but still need to
get around.

Plan today.
Stay independent tomorrow.
My Self

Plan to
stay
healthy

My Home
Plan to
stay safe
at home

My Community
Plan to get
where you
want to go

Centers
Contro
Nationa
Prevent

My Self
We can maintain our mobility by
staying healthy and managing chronic
conditions. As we get older, we may
have more visits with doctors or other
healthcare providers to keep track of
changes in our health. We also may need
to focus on exercises that keep us strong
and increase our balance. Complete the
following checklist to get started.

Plan to stay healthy

☐ Get a checkup or wellness
visit each year.

If you don’t have a regular healthcare
provider, find one at www.ihs.gov/
findhealthcare. Some treatable health
issues (such as arthritis or balance
problems) may increase your risk of
being in a car crash or falling. You can
also check your fall risk at home using
bit.ly/falls-free-checkup and share results
with your healthcare provider. Think
about your checkups or wellness visits:
Last Exam Date: _________________
Next Exam Date: _________________

☐ Take care of your mental health.
Stay connected with family and
friends, do things you enjoy, and talk
to a healthcare provider, counselor, or
traditional healer. Social isolation and
conditions such as depression may
increase your risk of falling. Who are
some caring people you can talk or
visit with?
________________________________

My Mobility Tip
The lenses used for reading
in bifocal glasses can change
how you judge step heights
and can lead to falls. Consider
using a second pair of single
lens glasses to prevent falls
when outside of the home.

________________________________

☐ Get a medical eye exam each year.
Untreated eye problems can increase
your risk of falling or being in a car crash.
Last Eye Exam Date: ______________
Next Eye Exam Date: ______________

My Self

Plan to stay healthy

☐ Get a hearing exam.
Untreated hearing loss may affect your
safety while driving or cause balance
issues that can lead to a fall.
Last Hearing Exam Date: ___________
Next Hearing Exam Date: ___________

☐ Be physically active with a focus on

increasing your strength and balance.
Doing strength and balance activities
at least 3 times a week can reduce your
risk of falling. These activities can be
done on your own or with other people.
You can do them at home, at a gym, at
a local community center, or outdoors.
Activities like walking and stretching
are good for you but do not reduce
your risk of falling. Find examples of
strength and balance activities and
tracking tools at:
bit.ly/IHS-Physical-Activity
and bit.ly/health-tracking-tools.

☐ Review all your medications

regularly with your healthcare
provider, such as a doctor
or pharmacist.
Certain medications can affect your
ability to drive, walk, or get around
safely. This includes some over-thecounter medications. Learn more at:
bit.ly/CDC-MedicinesRisk.

My Mobility Tip
Review your health insurance
plan to understand benefits.
Medicare plans may cover the
cost of exercise programs like
SilverSneakers™ or Silver&Fit.®

What can I do next?
Talk to your healthcare provider
about your risk of falling or any
concerns about driving.

My Home

Plan to stay safe at home

Injuries from falling can reduce your
ability to stay mobile and independent.
You can help prevent falls in your home
by making small changes and removing
things that may cause you to trip. Set
aside time to go through the following
home safety checklist to find changes
that you can make to your home. Decide
if you need help with a project and what
tools you would need. If you need help,
see if there are organizations in the
community that provide materials, funds,
or help with installations. Call 211 or
contact your local Tribal office to find out
about these programs.
Check the floors, stairs, and lighting in
each room, including any basements,
garages, porches, or entryways.

☐

Keep objects, such as purses and
laundry baskets, off the floor.

☐

Remove or tape down rugs.

☐

Coil or tape cords and wires next
to the wall and out of the way.

☐

Check for loose or uneven stairs.
Repair if needed.

☐

Make sure carpet is firmly attached
to every stair or remove carpet and
attach non-slip rubber treads.

☐

☐

Check for loose or broken handrails.
Repair if needed.
Install handrails on both sides of stairs
if needed.

My Mobility Tip
Falls are more likely when you
are wearing socks indoors or
footwear that does not cover the
heel, such as flip flops. Wear safe
shoes that fit well, with a firm heel
to provide stability, and a textured
sole to prevent slipping—even
when inside your home.

☐

Use overhead lighting at the top and
bottom of stairs and consider adding
light switches at both the top and
bottom of stairs.

☐

Add bright lightbulbs to fixtures.
More information on choosing how to
light specific rooms is available here:
bit.ly/light-health.

My Home

Plan to stay safe at home

Check the kitchen:

☐

Put often-used items within easy reach.

☐

Use a step stool with a non-slip surface
and a bar to hold on to when retrieving
hard-to-reach items. Never use a chair
as a step stool.

Check the bedrooms:

☐

Place lamps near the bed so they are
within reach when you are in bed.

☐

Put in night-lights to see where you
are walking in the dark. Consider
battery-operated lights for areas that
do not have electrical outlets. Also
consider motion sensor night-lights.

Check the bathrooms:

☐

Put non-slip rubber mats or self-stick
strips on the floor of the tub or shower.

☐

Install grab bars for support getting
in or out of the tub or shower and up
from the toilet.

My Mobility Tips for
Outside the Home

Falls from outdoor ladders can
be especially dangerous. Think
about asking someone to help
or hiring someone for chores like
cleaning gutters and putting up
holiday lights.

Snow and ice can increase
outdoor falls. Make a plan
to have snow removed from
your sidewalks and entryways
after snowfall. A thin layer of
sand or cat litter can help
prevent slipping on ice.

What can I do next?
Find more home modification
information and resources at
https://go.usa.gov/xUEs3 and
https://bit.ly/home-fit-guide.

My Community

Plan to get where you want to go

Your transportation needs may change
as you age. You might get to a point
when you are not comfortable driving
in certain situations, like at night.
Eventually you might not be able to
safely drive. Physical changes such as
joint problems may make it hard to walk
places or use a bus.
We all need transportation for practical
reasons like grocery shopping and
medical appointments, but we also need
it to spend time with friends and loved
ones. Staying social helps us maintain
our quality of life. The following steps
can help you maintain independence
and connections as you age.

Do you drive?

My Mobility Tip
Staying focused while driving is
important for everyone. Avoid
distractions in your car—or other
vehicles such as boats or ATVs—
such as listening to a loud radio,
talking or texting on your phone,
and eating. Set up navigation
and adjust your mirrors and radio
before you start driving, not
while you are on the road.

• Learn tips to drive safely
while aging:
o NHTSA bit.ly/driving-safely-aging
o AAA bit.ly/senior-driving-safety
•

Consider a driver refresher
course. Some insurers give a
discount on your car insurance
for taking a course:
o AARP (888) 687-2277
or www.aarp.org
o AAA (800) 222-4357
or www.aaa.com

My Community
☐

Plan to get where you want to go

Find transportation options in
your community.
Finding transportation options before
you need them—and learning how
to use them—will help you keep the
freedom to go where you want at any
age. Here are some places to look for
transportation options in your area:
• Native Elder Service Locator
1-800-896-7628
or www.nrcnaa.org/service-locator
• Rides in Sight 1-855-607-4337
or www.ridesinsight.org
• Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116
or www.eldercare.acl.gov
• A place of worship, local senior
center, Tribal office, or similar
organization
• Health insurance provider like
some Medicare and Medicaid plans
• Local government webpages for
public transportation
• Rideshare services such as Uber
and Lyft or taxis

☐

Make a plan for your future
transportation options.
Make a list of all the places you go
now and how you get there. Then
think about how you would get to
these same places if you couldn’t use
your current way—consider some
of the options you found above. For
example, maybe you currently drive
yourself to get lunch with friends,
but in the future you could get a ride
from a friend or take a taxi if you
couldn’t drive yourself.

My Mobility Tip
Think about how a computer
or phone can be used to:
• Have prescriptions or
groceries delivered
• Check in with your doctor
or other healthcare provider
• Connect with friends and family

What can I do next?
Get comfortable with the
transportation options you
find by trying them out now,
perhaps with a friend or a
family member.

Additional Resources

• Healthy Tribes – find information about

promoting health in Tribal Communities:
www.cdc.gov/healthytribes

• Healthy Aging – find information about
exercise, nutrition, staying connected,
and more:
www.hhs.gov/aging/healthy-aging

• Still Going Strong – learn how to age
without injury:
www.cdc.gov/stillgoingstrong

• National Resource Center on Native

American Aging – services and
programs that support healthy aging:
www.nrcnaa.org

• Native Elder Service Locator – services

that may be offered in your community:
1-800-896-7628 or
www.nrcnaa.org/service-locator

• Eldercare Locator – local Area Agency

on Aging resources on housing,
transportation, and more: 1-800-677-1116
or www.eldercare.acl.gov

• Lifeline Program – support for phone
and internet services for people with
low incomes: 1-800-234-9473 or
www.lifelinesupport.org

• National Council on Aging – resources
about aging well:
www.ncoa.org

My Notes
Use this space to make notes on next steps, things to discuss with your family
or friends, or questions you may have for your healthcare provider.

For more information about
the MyMobility Plan visit:
www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/
older_adult_drivers/mymobility

Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control

June 2022