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My Mom hired a guy for years to do her gutters. Now I hire him on her behalf, and last year was the first year I asked him to put my house on the list, too. DH was a little reluctant, but I didn't have to twist his arm too hard, since apparently it isn't anyone's favorite task. I was thinking about his bad back, heavy ladder, awkward positioning, etc. more than falling, but of course that should probably be the major concern. It's a pretty easy thing to hire out and not terribly expensive.
Every year I get a short lecture from my doctor about falls and seniors losing balance and supportive muscle. I know of two people who have died of head injuries from short falls. One on stairs, the other just working in the garage, and a third death from a broken hip and no recovery. He sends some of his seniors to a physical or occupation therapist for training and tips on balance, shoes, area rugs, etc. Sarcopenia could be one of the root causes for loss of balance as much as coordination and spacial orientation and is preventable to some degree. I'm finishing up the year with 1800 biking miles, some hiking, and stream wading while fishing, but there is no denying of certain aging conditions.Quote:
Originally Posted by bae
My gutter guard thoughts are elevated. No country for old men.
One of the many stellar things about DH is that he has always been smart and cautious in his work. He did construction for 20+ years and has nary a nick or scar to show for it. Once many years ago he did fall off a ladder, but no bones were broken, No head injury.
The reason I noticed his caution is because his own father was like a bull in a china shop, a very big guy, reckless In physical work. He was always getting injured. Farm work is dangerous.
DH tells a story where he was out on the farm working with his dad and the old man said “we’re going to cut down that tree and we’re going to do it THIS Way.” DH saw the angle of the proposed job and said “no, I’m not doing that, it’s dangerous.”
His father insisted on his own method. DH smartly just walked away rather than argue.
The old man came up to him some minutes later, clutching his arms saying “we’ve got to go to the hospital. I broke my arm.” Oops. There are stories of the old guy driving supplies in battle zones in the Korean war. He was loved by his superiors because he took enormous risks to get difficult jobs done.
I didn’t marry a risk taker, I like it that way.
About falls:
I figure I have a few more years before I have to get rid of the throw rugs around my house. Now I like them because they provide spots of color, but I already trip over them occasionally and catch myself. In a while, I won’t be able to catch myself.
Gardeners tend to be better with balance and agility than the average senior citizen, but I haven’t done heavy duty gardening for two years now, so I’ve lost all of that physical acuity.
This spring I put my foot down and told DH he HAD TO INSTALL THE RAILING on the stairway to the basement, DAMMIT!! because I wasn’t going to go through yet another year without a railing. He did it.
I have grab bars in my bathroom bathtub, but since I hadn’t used them before, I didn’t really know where to put them and ended up not putting them where I would actually use them. I suppose I could add one in the right place later.