I would like to thank people who have expressed concern with regard to my accident. But what I would really like to bring home to everyone who has one of those plastic foot step stools in the house is to dump it now before an accident occurs.
We need something to give us a little extra height , but we oldies are told don't get up on a stepladder, don't climb onto a chair to do anything that requires extra height. No one tells us where we can find at a moment's notice a helping hand to help with a particular chore.
Without a friendly neighbour, I don’t quite know what would have happened to me. I could not get to the telephone.
What would you do if something happened to you? Can your neighbours unlock your house and get in to help? Do you trust someone with a key?
We received an email from someone who said
“ tell Redhead she is lucky she did not do more damage to herself and lucky she has a neighbour that cares. My sister who lives in a six unit phoned me yesterday and told me of an 87 year old man in the complex who usually puts his roller door up religiously at 8.30 AM. This did not happen yesterday so she and another neighbour went to investigate and found the old bloke on the floor in a massive pool of blood from his head. He was still alive amazingly. Don’t know the final outcome yet. Had he not had others around that cared he would be dead. “
Yes. I was very fortunate. Some are not so fortunate. How often do we read of someone who has been lying injured and no one even knew? Or cared.
I have been on the internet and checked out the various places that have wooden step stools. One is on order and I am positive that the accident that happened to me on Sunday morning will not happen with this new wooden stool.
Don't think it won't happen to you, it is too late when you are on the floor unable to get up , blood dripping on the carpet , fortunately it was in the hall and I managed to ease around and put the bleeding foot on the tiles in the bathroom. No point in ruining good carpet with unnecessary blood stains!
You may not be fortunate enough to have caring neighbours who heard your cries for help and rescued you. A big thankyou to good neighbours.
If you have a plastic stool, dump it. If you have a trusted neighbour, share a key. If you have email addresses and phone numbers, share them. You don’t have to be older to be vulnerable.
Accidents happen at any age, and, as my granddaughter said, as soon as you are over 35, you don’t bounce so well.
I did not bounce very well and I am well and truly over 35.
Update:
Then he spotted the plastic chairs around the outside table and the 2 on the walkway. So I was then told they explode when they do collapse and are an accident waiting to happen. When I told Shaydee she said the Manager of her Complex has got rid of all plastic outdoor chairs etc. Does not want to be sued.. so accidents must be quite common. I have stacked them up and will get my next door neighbour to move them ready for the next collection later on in the year.
Now, where are my chocolates, Shaydee?
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