When the Good Samaritan Leaves!

The Good Samaritan by Aimé Morot (1880) shows the Good Samaritan taking the injured man to the inn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My friend just arrived home from Hawaii. She is suffering the late arrival of her soul right now but she will be fine in a few days.

In case you are not familiar with the feeling that you left part of yourself behind when you are traveling, I can't explain it. I suffer from it every time we take a vacation. If I went to Hawaii, I would definitely leave something behind and I am not sure that it would ever come back to live in my body.

But that is not what I want to talk about today. I need to talk about going that extra mile when you help someone in need.

My friend fell while she was on vacation and two good Samaritans found her in the middle of a road near a golf course.  They picked her up and walked her to the golf course club house where she passed out in the restroom.  An ambulance came and she spent 4+ days in the hospital, part of that in intensive care.  She does not remember anything about the incident and the Samaritans disappeared as mysteriously as they had arrived.

Now the detective work begins.  She has medical issues that need to be addressed but because the people that talked to her right after the fall are gone, she probably will never know what she said to them. Did she tell them what had happened?

I was a little puzzled about why it was so important to her until she explained that the answers would help her deal with her recovery. Did she fall, hit her head and cause bleeding in the head or did she have a small stroke?

So there is a lesson here.  I know we are all afraid of law suits or appearing to be proud of an act of kindness but that is not the issue here.  It is the information that needs to be left behind so the person that has fallen or been assaulted can piece together their recovery.

It is just a thought!

b+

1 in 3 seniors are at RISK! Accidents at Home

I fell a couple of weeks ago.  I was out walking and stumbled over a sidewalk pushed up by a tree roots. It was a reminder of what could happen if I were to fall in just the right way even in my home. I am one of the 33% people over 65 that fall every year.  If I were 80, that would increase to 50%. Take a minute and see if you are doing what you should. It is important because -

• The cost of fall-related injuries is projected to reach nearly $55 billion by 2020—CDC’s National Center for Injury and Prevention Control.
• The majority of falls take place in the home.

This infographic shows you all the ways you can protect yourself from falling in your home. See if you are taking care of your health by preventing accidents. Then take a look around both inside your home and outside. These are the points they listed:

1. Be mindful of medications that may you dizzy. 
2. Use a non-slip mat in the bathtub.
3. Turn on the lights! Living in the dark is not only bad for your mental health it can also be a safety hazard.
4. Clean up spills immediately.
5. Be sure electrical cords and clutter don't trip you up.
6. Get rid of the throw rugs.  I know they are nice but they are still very dangerous.
7. Stay fit.
8. Wear good shoes
9. If you live in a place that is icy in the winter consider getting shoes that will help prevent slipping.

Infrographic in better detail here.

Now my friends please don't dig in and be stubborn. This is not all about you. My grandfather fell on my aunts front step and broke his hip. A fellow bloggers suffered the tragic death of her husband in a fall outdoors in the winter. The point is you also need to protect your friends and family. 

When it comes to strangers or guests in your home, you need to remember that you may be held accountable for an accident on your property. I was not broken when I fell in front of a neighbors house but if I had been, my insurance company probably would have gone after the homeowner or their insurance company.  The liability was certainly there.  

Keep in mind that preventing falls is a lot cheaper than paying for them! 

NOW, get up out of your computer chair and go out for a walk! Why?  Because I told you to. Just watch where you are walking...don't fall!   :)

Just a thought!

b

Note:  I received this information from Amedisys and was not paid to write this...I think it is important.