Looking Out For Those Who Looked After Us

My father fell down the basement stairs on Saturday. He is 85 years old.

Luckily, he is alright. A big bruise on his hip, a few more on his left side, and a pretty nasty scrape on his head where he banged against the metal door. He was alone at the time and had decided to go down the recently painted basement steps barefoot – after using the garden hose outdoors. The combination of slick paint and wet, bare feet sent him tumbling – and me worrying.

I live 781 miles from my parents, which means my worry is compounded by a severe case of guilt. I go home as often as I can, but not as often as I should. I was there two weeks ago and will be back for a family reunion in August.

But this time I’m going to do more than sit in the shade, eat too many of my mom’s chocolate chip cookies and catch up on family gossip, I mean, news.

Falls account for almost half of all home injuries and deaths, so I’m going to do an inspection, looking for ways my parents could get hurt in their own home. Here’s my starting list:

1.) Stairs. Are there handrails on every set of stairs? Could they withstand the force of a 225-pound man who missed a step or lost his balance? Are the stairs free of clutter?

2.) Steps. Are they slippery? Is the carpet worn to the point where it offers no grip? Should the freshly painted stairs have another coat applied – this one with a light sprinkling of sand before it dries? Or will an adhesive ‘no-slip’ strip suffice?

3.) Bathrooms. Are there safety bars to help them get in and out of the tub? Are there ‘no-slip’ strips on the bottom of the tub and shower?

4.) Step stools. Are they sturdy? Do they have handrails? Is there one in all the right places: kitchen, basement, garage, attic, anywhere they might try to stand on a wobbly chair to reach something?

5.) Rugs. Are there throw rugs on a hard tile, vinyl or wood floor that need a mesh non-skid pad beneath them? Are there rugs they could trip over, especially at night?

6.) Tripping. Are there other tripping hazards, such as electrical cords, newspapers, magazines, shoes, clothing, toys and clutter?

7.) Night lights. Are there enough plug-in night lights to prevent them from falling down the stairs or tripping over a pair of shoes – or a sleeping dog?

I’m sure my list will grow once I get there, as will yours.

There are some things in life we can’t affect – but lets do something about the things we can.

- Bruce Johnson

Miss a week? Check out our Archives for past articles!