My Baker’s Dozen SAFETY CHECK LIST

The 1^st Rule of Aging well –
Avoid the Landmines

That first rule is actually not mine.  I saw it years ago somewhere, but it always puts prevention in perspective for me.  I think of it as being Mindful to Avoid the Landmines.  We hear so much about what to eat, drugs to take, exercise to attempt or supplements to add but we don’t hear about the more obvious, mundane safety stuff.  I might ask why, but I think I answered my own question – boring.

Once in a while however, don’t you like to be ahead of the curve?  Don’t you love to hear stories or read articles that confirm that you are ALREADY doing what you ‘need to do?’  This is one of those. I HOPE.

As you read this, the more you think to yourself ‘well, I knew that already’ the better grade you get at the end — only kidding, no grading.  But if I were grading, you would receive an ‘A’ if you are doing at least 11.25 out of 13 of these.  [11.25?  You think I am watching too much figure-skate judging?]  Better yet, think of it as every extra point granted for taking care of safety brings you a whole lot more than a letter grade – if might provide you one more day or month or year or decade of Aging with Pizzazz.  It is my personal list built over the years, but no one is perfect.

I admit that I lose a point on one of these – I am actually not going to reveal which one.  It’s a secret.  But I will admit that even though I have my rationale ready to spew, it is (as the PBS characters would say) ‘bollocks.’  There is no rationale good enough to ignore any of these.  So grade yourself honestly, and try to avoid those landmines.

 

It is better to be safe a hundred times,
than to get killed once.
Mark Twain

My Baker’s Dozen Safety CHECK list

1)  Protect your vision. Make sure your eyes do not strain. Use robust contrast, decrease glare and increase lighting. Vision is vital. The better your eyesight the less chance of accidents or small stumbles that can lead to bigger problems and disabilities.

Wear polycarbonate safety goggles, with wrap-around or side guards, when operating any type of garden, lawn, shop or power tools. If you use anything around the house that might snap off (even like exercise bands according to Senator Harry Reed) consider some type of safety glass for that activity as well.

2)  Protect your hearing. Aside from any constant low-level noise pollution, avoid exposure to loud noises and long-term high volume use of earphones, BlueTooth, iphones, MP3 player, Walkmans’.™   Shun close-encounters with what used to be called a ‘boom box’. Use ear-protectors when using loud machinery, yard tools, even the vacuum, or in other appropriate situations. I use ear plugs at some concerts and in the movie theaters. [Since you never know when you might need them, I carry around a soft pair in a small pill case.]

3)  Wear your seat belt in the car.

Last year, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced the winners of a contest for humorous driver safety messages. Among them: ‘Make yah Ma proud, wear yah seatbelt.’ Maybe that is only funny in Massachusetts, but the sentiment is good.

4)  Drive defensively. If you are still driving, make sure you are fit and your reflexes are adequate for the task, but most importantly don’t expect good driving from others. Let that person cut you off if they must, and respond as little as possible. [This may also save you from being a victim of road rage.] We all know that the ‘other guy’ doesn’t know how to drive. So give him (or her) room to make their mistakes and leave us all alone. A recent public service announcement claimed “if you drive aggressively, you are not a safe driver.”
Don’t text and drive. AAA says that while everyone assumes this advice is needed mostly for teens, sometimes ‘seniors’ (when it means those in the 2^nd 50-years) are as culpable as the seniors in high school. While I still doubt that claim a bit, it appears that some seniors find that texting is the only way to regularly communicate with the grandkids, thus the spike in the activity for the older age group. Stealing from my 100 Choices booklet, let me add this. Older reflexes may be slowing and more attention is needed to be paid toward movement – not messages.
Everyone should see this Volkswagen advertisement at least once (or share it with younger folks you know.) By the way, don’t walk and text either.

5)  Be attentive in the bathroom. We all know that this is where most home accidents occur. Put an anti-slip rug or throw down in front of the bath AND the shower. Take care around water; more care around electric appliances; and the most care around a combination of the two.

6)  Prevent Drug and Product Positioning

As much as advisable, avoid unnecessary use of prescription drugs, recreational drugs, and long-term medicinal herbs. Always check contraindications and interactions before using any substance. Don’t rely on your physician only – she cannot know all this information. [That probably goes double for interactions between drugs and herbs.]

If you plan on using a poisonous product around the home (and cannot find a substitute), take 10 extra seconds to get out the magnifying glass and read the tiny directions for the product’s poison antidote treatment BEFORE using the substance. Keep the number for poison control in a convenient (and remembered) spot.
You can reach the Poison Hot-line 24-7 anywhere in the nation with ONE number (even if you use an old one they will redirect you to this system).

The Poison Hotline number is: 1-800-222-1222.

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Call first. Don’t use remedies like ipecac before consulting with the center, especially for children, those with lots of sensitivities, or particularly if a caustic chemical poison was the culprit.

If two people are available to help, one can call the hot-line while the other contacts the new webPOISONCONTROL^®   at  https://www.webpoisoncontrol.org/.  Both are free services that offer quick advice on YOUR particular situation and body.

7)  Use proper, well-maintained equipment and follow protocol for physical activities. Any activity from walking to swimming, from tennis to hiking, from rock climbing to gardening, from speed boating to contra dancing. Participate in no dangerous activity without appropriate equipment (and training where relevant). Remember almost any activity has the potential to be dangerous.
Here is one (possibly) annoying subject about equipment – HELMETS. If you don’t wear a helmet while riding your bike (even a trike) it is foolish. And if in your world, ‘bike’ really means either mountain bike or motorcycle it is nuts to go without head-gear. It isn’t the fall alone that could be problematic; it is the tree branch knocking you over the cliff or the car dragging you down the road.

Speaking of maintaining equipment, don’t forget to take recommended care of wheelchairs. If they are needed, their performance is more vital on an everyday basis than occasional sport or activity gear. This includes the need to periodically have the wheelchair rack on the car checked for loose bits and proper functioning.

8)  Prepare for fire. The usual advice is to check batteries in smoke/fire detectors twice a year, when the clocks change. (You know when clocks change even if you live in an area like Arizona that does not participate.) But personally I would award you full-points if you do this at least once a year. Remind yourself when you are ‘losing an hour’ that you have much more to lose if your detectors aren’t working. Have fire escape plans for your home, especially important for houses with two levels. Use other safety detectors such as carbon monoxide and radon detectors, if the substance is commonly found in your region.
If you live in an area susceptible to fire, know the street evacuation routes from your house or apartment, and out of the area. If you are aware of ‘shelter-in-place’ options and choose that alternative plan NOW and make sure you are totally prepared. The ‘shelter-in-place’ choice is less and less viable as we age as it takes significant physical work, unless the intention is to ‘go down with the ship.’

9)  For personal safety, use a home security alarm for some type of warning in your house. Even a local alarm, which rings nowhere but in the house, may scare someone off. Anyone can afford some type of alarm. This can be important to your safety.
For anyone alone, but especially those disabled or who use a wheelchair, spend the extra bucks and spring for some type of a life-alert home system. It is worth the peace of mind, even if you never use it.

Before anything dire happens to you, ask yourself this “if I have a medical emergency and am locked inside the house HOW can help get to me?” [Inaccessibility in the house could be from locked exterior gates, high walls, locked garage door, etc.]  Two recent and important services I have come across are Lockboxes for Seniors (usually community programs) which allow police, fire or emergency personnel to enter your house by accessing your special key – without breaking down your door and spending precious minutes to do so. These are sometimes free services to those of low income. Another program available in some areas is “info for Life’ which is a free packet for you to fill out with personal information and then magnetically stick to the refrigerator. For years seniors have been told to keep a capsule inside the refrigerator with their medical information listed, but newer versions allow for more details and instructions. By the way, don’t forget to PRINT if you are writing anything out long-hand. I suppose it goes without saying, but this point is point-less if not done prior to it being needed.

 

10)  Prevent food poisoning

Food poisoning is no longer restricted to a bellyache. It can cause weeks of illness, hospitalization or worse, especially as previously recommended antibiotics have become less effective. Buying free-range meat from organic animals or those not fed antibiotics is recommended but carries no firm guarantee against food-borne illnesses. Care must be taken across the board – for meat, chicken, seafood, dairy and fruits or vegetables.
Other prevention includes points we have heard before. Be careful of raw meat or chicken; do not let the juices touch other food. Do not thaw meat on the counter or microwave/oven, but in a cold refrigerator. Avoid cross-contamination of wooden cutting boards used for meat by using separate boards. It is important to wash all board, but wood is more porous and needs a bit more attention. Wash everything (knife, board, hands, etc.) with hot/soapy water that comes in contact with meat or its juices.
Do not consume raw meat, fish or eggs. Cook these thoroughly, including the inside of any meat. I am not aware of this as a major problem, but some experts advise that when eating out you should avoid cold foods (i.e. cold deli and cold fish), unless you are pretty sure of preparation. For sushi eaters (like me) head for the reputable establishments – and you still may have to say a prayer.
Use lots of soap. Yet, do not use anti-bacterial soaps too frequently; they can lower bacteria-resistance on our hands.

 

11)  Use weapons with care. Guns kill. If you own one, take ALL precautions possible to keep it out of the hands of children and teens. Make sure you have been totally trained in upkeep and safe use. If you believe that ‘guns don’t kill people, people kill people,’ you are responsible for the precautions nevertheless. If you are using, or plan to use, a stun gun as you believe it to be a less deadly weapon, proper protocols and training are still your responsibility. Surprisingly, these weapons have had a history of being lethal.
Consider pepper spray when you are traveling or walking alone (although don’t bring it through airport security). And while the use of pepper spray is not for women only, remember women – it does NO good tucked away in your pocketbook. Walk with it in your hand. [In the awful event that you ever have to use it, shake it first if possible and lean your face away as you pull the trigger – or press the button – so that wind does not blow the spray back into your own face. Practice now and again.]

12)  Learn to swim.

13)  Walk with care. Luckily most of us are NOT walking in the landmine fields of the 1^st Rule of Aging.  Still, walking is one of the greatest safety issues as we age. On stairs, use the railing. On the sidewalk look for cracks – and don’t play any rhyme games. On unstable ground, trails or yards wear shoes and watch your footing. If walking with a cane make sure it is sized perfectly for you and that it is doing more good than harm – same for walking sticks. Walking is one of the movements most important to keep us fit, so try to keep leg muscles as strong and flexible as possible to keep your walking stable. Most of all simply walk with care.

…….And Remember – Be Mindful to Avoid the Landmines.

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Picture Credit: Title Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

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