Generally speaking, it is amazing how optimistic some folk can be! I saw someone climb up a large tree and proceed to cut branches with a heavy chain saw. He was very lucky not to lose a limb. So many visits to the doctor can be prevented by a little foresight that I thought it was worth considering risky areas of the home and garden to help prevent them. It all comes down to common sense. But, when you are in a hurry or have been in the habit of doing the same action for years without ill effect, you may not realise the risks you run. My mother is 90, and very much mistress of her home. I watched in horror recently as she missed her footing, and slipped on a loose mat that sits on a step. She is (as many elderly people are) unstable on her feet at times, but this time she was lucky. Some furniture broke her fall, and she did not bang the back of her head as hard as she might have done. She has put that mat in a safer place. Make sure that mats everywhere are as ‘non-slip’ as possible, especially in baths and showers. Grab-rails in baths and showers can be life-saving if they prevent an old person from falling and breaking a hip. It is so easy to be aware of these issues, and then put off fixing the rail until it is too late. Everyone knows toddlers are immensely inquisitive, but people still leave potentially lethal objects and chemicals in cupboards within their reach. Have a look round your bathrooms and kitchens today, and make sure that anything dangerous is out of reach, including the risk of spilling hot water. A friend of ours recently took a swig from what she thought was a bottle of lemonade. She was gasping and choking within seconds. She is a very sensible lady, but she accidentally drank from a bottle with fluid contents that could have killed her. Please make sure to affix a ‘danger’ label if you use dangerous fluid in an innocent-looking container. Never store dangerous fluid in containers next to drinking water or fizzy drinks. It is easy to make a mistake when in a hurry. Children love colourful objects and on numerous occasions I have been telephoned to give advice because a child had swallowed tablets thinking they were sweets. Make sure the tablets are in child proof containers and out of reach. Other accidental overdoses I have come across are due to folk with intractable insomnia keeping sleeping tablets on the bedside table. After a nightcap or two, it is easy to forget that you have already had your sleeping tablet, and reach for a second helping by mistake. Keep tablets in the bathroom, so that you have to make a definite effort to get to them if you wake confused in the night. You are more likely to be aware of what you are doing by the time you encounter your favorite insomnia remedy if you have to walk to get them. If you think that someone has swallowed acid or caustic fluid, do not try to induce vomiting to get rid of the poison as this can cause severe burning of the oesophagus, and spillage into the windpipe can cause asphyxiation due to swelling of the tube linings. Learn to recognise common plants and herbs that cause poisoning in the garden. It does not take long, and you can pass on your knowledge to visiting grandchildren who may be totally unaware of the dangers of idly sucking certain leaves. As Dickens said in David Copperfield: “Accidents will occur in the best regulated families”. That should alert us to the possibilities, not make us accepting as though accidents are inevitable. Accidents by their very nature, are avoidable.
