Editor,
Today, all of us share the fact that we are one day older than we were yesterday. We often tend not to think of aging day by day and only acknowledge the passage of time when something out of the ordinary happens. AND, something out of the ordinary happened a few days ago on a residential street in the town of Meaford.
My sister and her husband are wonderful, generous, kind-spirited people. On their way home from shopping one day this past week, they noticed a man laying on the road about a block from their house. They immediately drove over to the man, who was conscious but shaken and embarrassed. After speaking with him about possible injuries, they help him into their van and drove him to his house which was about 300 feet from where he fell. There was no one home. They went inside the house and got the gentleman settled onto a kitchen chair. He said his arm was very sore. He said he fell because his legs gave out. He said his wife would be home in a few minutes and that he was fine to wait for her on his own. My sister asked for his wife’s cell number so she could call her and advise her of the incident…he didn’t know her number. After 15 or so minutes, the gentleman seemed ok and somewhat hesitantly my sister and her husband left the gentleman , suggesting that he stay calm and be still until his wife returned.
They had another errand to run and when they finished they drove back to the gentleman’s home to check that his wife was home and that he was ok – he wasn’t. His wife was still not home, and he had fallen again onto the kitchen floor. The kindly duo decided it was best to call 911. Paramedics arrived promptly. A search was conducted for some sort of identification for the gentleman and just as the ID was found, his wife arrived home. She followed the ambulance to the hospital. About 2 hours later, my sister received a call from the woman who gave a report on her husband’s condition – he had broken his wrist and some heart issues required attention. She also expressed deep gratitude.
So why am I telling this tale? First, the incident brought some safety features to my mind, and I wanted to share. When you go out walking alone, have some sort of identification with you, including name, address, and emergency contact information. Anyone of us could fall – another thing we all have in common – and if found unconscious and unidentified treatment could be delayed. Also, if you are walking at night, please wear reflective clothing so you can be easily seen. If you are not good at remembering specific information like your spouse’s/roommate’s cell number – maybe have that information taped to your refrigerator [other info could also be included such as the name and number of your doctor]. I’m no expert in safety precautions, but there are many people and organizations where additional information and suggestions can be obtained.
Second, look out for your neighbours. Be aware of folks living alone who may need a hand once in a while and be willing to gift support – be kind. Every day each of us gets older and some of us may need more support than we realize – don’t be shy, ask for help when you need it.
The day following this tale, my sister was up early baking muffins for the man and woman she and her husband had assisted – she/they are the kind of neighbours everyone would be lucky to have!
Debbie Hickey, Meaford
