Watch Out Taking Out the Recycling

 

My cousin, who is 8 years older than me and lives alone, broke his patella (kneecap) while taking out the recycling.

Lessons learned:

When we are taking a trip with the GPS, we go out fully equipped, but for a short trip for the recycling we are not ready.

It's dark in the evening this time of year; turn the lights on and put your glasses on. Wear shoes, not slippers.

If it is raining or snowing the recycling can wait 'til next week.

Be aware that even a trip this short could end in disaster.

dobs108 sad

Also look at likely happenings

For example putting on your pants, standing on one leg, possible fall, do it sitting, or as I do, close to a wall. If I lose balance, simply lean back into wall and recover or slide down. Knife and other sharp objects, think of way to safely do, not how you did it as an "Invincible Kid"

restrictions

after getting older my kids don't allow me on ladders, lifting something a little heavy LOL if I have a ladder in my hands the wife is right there asking what I intend to do with it, as far as putting pants on under ware is a lot harder so are socks I have to sit on the edge of the tub to do ether, some where after my 60's my balance got a little lost after my 70's putting socks is a bit of a chore LOL

I just don't wear socks,

I just don't wear socks, anymore!

--
Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267

90%

dobs108 wrote:

My cousin, who is 8 years older than me and lives alone, broke his patella (kneecap) while taking out the recycling.

Lessons learned:

When we are taking a trip with the GPS, we go out fully equipped, but for a short trip for the recycling we are not ready.

It's dark in the evening this time of year; turn the lights on and put your glasses on. Wear shoes, not slippers.

If it is raining or snowing the recycling can wait 'til next week.

Be aware that even a trip this short could end in disaster.

dobs108 sad

90% of all accidents happen within 5 miles of home. Don't leave your house and you can have almost anything delivered to your door. If it can't be delivered, you didn't need it anyway!

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Don't run and play with our dog.

While visiting my sister in Va this past Oct, don't act like a kid and chase the dog. Lost my balance and broke my fall with my face. Hit a chair, had reading glasses on my nose and had to have sutures just below my left eye. Went to a clinic who sent me to the hospital who sent me to an eye surgeon. Luckily, no damage to my eye, just my feelings for being so clumsy. Was a little difficult driving back south.

I never Realized

how old I was until I started reading some of these comments. Jeez, we should start an Old Geezer Club.

--
"As life runs on, the road grows strange with faces new - and near the end. The milestones into headstones change, Neath every one a friend." - James Russell Lowell Garmin StreetPilot C330, Garmin NUVI 765T, Garmin DriveSmart 60LMT

i don't know about you

alleghany wrote:

how old I was until I started reading some of these comments. Jeez, we should start an Old Geezer Club.

But I'm only 18 (with 57 years of experience).

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Socks

Just for your information there are several types of gadgets you can buy for putting on your socks.
You'll probably have to find somewhere where they sell health aid appliances or whatever they may be called.
Also try online at Amazon.

--
Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

always bring a cell phone with you

dobs108 wrote:

My cousin, who is 8 years older than me and lives alone, broke his patella (kneecap) while taking out the recycling.

Lessons learned:

When we are taking a trip with the GPS, we go out fully equipped, but for a short trip for the recycling we are not ready.

It's dark in the evening this time of year; turn the lights on and put your glasses on. Wear shoes, not slippers.

If it is raining or snowing the recycling can wait 'til next week.

Be aware that even a trip this short could end in disaster.

dobs108 sad

Even it is a short trip, always bring with a cell phone as you may get locked out, and there could be a need to call a locksmith or someone.

Solved that

abin wrote:

Even it is a short trip, always bring with a cell phone as you may get locked out, and there could be a need to call a locksmith or someone.

that long ago, I have a combination lock where all I need to do is to enter a numerical code, NO key required but is available as a manual backup.
It also has a secondary code in case you want to allow someone else entry while you're on vacation etc. Which can be disabled with the push of a button once you're back.

--
Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

Also remember

... When you go to the other room or out to the shed to get something, remember why you went there, or you will have to return to GO and not collect $200. :>)))

If it has not happened to you, it will

--
rvOutrider

ladders are trouble

geo334 wrote:

after getting older my kids don't allow me on ladders

One of the questions the doctor is supposed to ask during a Medicare "annual wellness visit" is whether you have fallen. I confessed a couple of years ago that I had taken a nasty fall when the stepstool I had perched on the ceramic "seat" in the shower in order to help me scrub the shower walls had slipped and I had crashed down three feet or so onto angled tile surfaces. No injury.

Doctor observed that a surprising number of his older patients present with ladder-related injuries.

The kicker is that my safety solution to my shower cleaning problem was to stop using the stepstool set up on the "seat" and instead use a very stable small ladder set on the shower floor.

--
personal GPS user since 1992

I like that

Box Car wrote:
alleghany wrote:

how old I was until I started reading some of these comments. Jeez, we should start an Old Geezer Club.

But I'm only 18 (with 57 years of experience).

Wife and I had rebuilds done in 2015, she new knews, me Mech Aortic Valve, double by pass and Aortic Graft. We are like a couple of Teenagers now, I feel 30 years younger and do more physical stuff then most teenagers

Safety Checks

archae86 wrote:

One of the questions the doctor is supposed to ask during a Medicare "annual wellness visit" is whether you have fallen. I confessed a couple of years ago that I had taken a nasty fall when the stepstool I had perched on the ceramic "seat" in the shower in order to help me scrub the shower walls had slipped and I had crashed down three feet or so onto angled tile surfaces. No injury.

...

For several years now, my smartphone is always within reach of the shower - just in case. Since I am the only one at home now (because I had to place my wife in a an Alzheimer's facility earlier this year), my daughter and I have agreed to send a text to each other at 8 in the morning and 8 in the evening. That way she knows that I am alright each time I check in. She gives me a few minutes grace before she calls me but we always make contact.

I have been encouraging my friends to do similar "check in's" with their family also.

It takes so little time and provides so much assurance that you might want to consider something similar.

I have a friend who slipped in the bathroom, falling over the edge of the tub and breaking his back. Things happen!!

Safety Checks.

These are great ideas John … thanks for sharing them. I am so sorry to hear about your wife's situation. There are so many families dealing with Alzheimer's and other dementia related illnesses. Take care of yourself.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Great idea

I have been thinking about things like that as I get up in age. Although I have family near by we aren't into checking on each other on a regular basis. They have a significant other. I am alone so that becomes a concern.

Thanks for the tip.

jgermann wrote:
archae86 wrote:

One of the questions the doctor is supposed to ask during a Medicare "annual wellness visit" is whether you have fallen. I confessed a couple of years ago that I had taken a nasty fall when the stepstool I had perched on the ceramic "seat" in the shower in order to help me scrub the shower walls had slipped and I had crashed down three feet or so onto angled tile surfaces. No injury.

...

For several years now, my smartphone is always within reach of the shower - just in case. Since I am the only one at home now (because I had to place my wife in a an Alzheimer's facility earlier this year), my daughter and I have agreed to send a text to each other at 8 in the morning and 8 in the evening. That way she knows that I am alright each time I check in. She gives me a few minutes grace before she calls me but we always make contact.

I have been encouraging my friends to do similar "check in's" with their family also.

It takes so little time and provides so much assurance that you might want to consider something similar.

I have a friend who slipped in the bathroom, falling over the edge of the tub and breaking his back. Things happen!!

--
Nuvi 2460LMT.

Safety Checks.

I echo Alan, John, I'm very sorry to hear about your wife. I do know you're active in your spiritual community and have a good relationship with your daughter, it's so important to have a healthy support system.

My mom has health problems and has a medic alert type of bracelet that sends a message to me if she pushes the button. I can then run over to help, I don't live far. Some of her needs are less serious, but still urgent. So this is helpful in that it saves us from needing to call on emergency services. Plus she wears it, so she won't forget it in the other room or misplace it. That's helpful.

I'm glad you're all sharing. I'm sure there are many reading this thread who've had similar experiences and feel a little less alone now.

~Angela

Our Mom refused to wear any type of alert.

She was very stubborn. She lived in the family homestead which was on a farm in the country. It was a battle to even get her to allow help to come in and make meals, clean, and check on her well being. We all prayed nothing serious happened. Us kids checked on her every day. We had to because she got to the point she wouldn't even answer the phone. She passed away last year after 6 months in a nursing home. The aids we had for 24 hours a day couldn't handle her due to dementia. It was a very hard decision to make. I hope we all have support systems in place.

GlobeTurtle wrote:

I echo Alan, John, I'm very sorry to hear about your wife. I do know you're active in your spiritual community and have a good relationship with your daughter, it's so important to have a healthy support system.

My mom has health problems and has a medic alert type of bracelet that sends a message to me if she pushes the button. I can then run over to help, I don't live far. Some of her needs are less serious, but still urgent. So this is helpful in that it saves us from needing to call on emergency services. Plus she wears it, so she won't forget it in the other room or misplace it. That's helpful.

I'm glad you're all sharing. I'm sure there are many reading this thread who've had similar experiences and feel a little less alone now.

~Angela

--
Nuvi 2460LMT.

Check On Each Other

Whenever I go out into the shop to do any work, I make sure to let my wife know I’m out there. She does come out and check on me periodically and I always make sure that I have my cell phone with me, even though I’m only 50 feet out the back door.

My neighbor and I each fly a flag when working in the shop so that way we know the other is out there.....just as a backup. I also refrain from doing anything more than organizing in the shop when my wife is not home.

such

a shame my township charges for recycling bins, so people steal them. And apparently you can't get more than 2 free in your lifetime as a resident (I guess it's like how you can't get 11 social security cards in a lifetime, 10 is the limit).

We had a ton of recycling yesterday, so I filled the blue bin, and placed the rest which my wife had put into cardboard boxes. I deliberately placed the two big boxes on the other side of the blue recycle bin, and a 13 gal trash bag up front. The sanitation worker threw all the recyclables into the garbage truck.

This is a permanent loss to society. We laugh because it's not our generation who is paying the price. But I have a kid graduating 2032 from HS when I am old. His generation will be paying the price.

I get that the sanitation worker had to make a split second decision, it's not his fault.

So what's the moral of the story?

1. Don't steal recycle bins (we were given 2, but now we have only 1)
2. Watch your kneecaps

Our city recycles with the

Our city recycles with the proper bins.

But in two of the towns next to us (less than 5 miles away) don't recycle. I understand people have concerns over recycling, but it seems a wasted effort. And BTW the same company that hauls for us, hauls for them. Go figure. Got to be politics.

--
I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.

Ditto

I also have these push button locks. I just hope I don't forget the code!

my

KenSny wrote:

Our city recycles with the proper bins.

But in two of the towns next to us (less than 5 miles away) don't recycle. I understand people have concerns over recycling, but it seems a wasted effort. And BTW the same company that hauls for us, hauls for them. Go figure. Got to be politics.

my mom lives in CT and they have to pay to recycle. Also they pay some astronomical amount for garbage services, its handled by a private co.

Where I live since it's municipal, it's amazing how much commercial trash is laid out at the curb, and how in a normal house they can have 7 trash bins 2x/week