
Home and Community Safety
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The Facts:
o In 2013, 93,200 unintentional-injury related deaths occurred in the home and community
o The top 7 causes of injury and death in this category are:
1.) Motor Vehicles
2.) Poisoning
3.) Falls
4.) Choking
5.) Drowning
6.) Fire and Burns
7.) Emergency Preparedness
o About 2.5 million nonfatal falls were treated in emergency departments in 2013
o More than 250,000 hip fractures are reported every year, and 95 percent of those are from falls.
o The average dollar loss per burglary in the U.S. is $2,185 according to the FBI.
o A majority of convicted burglars say that they intentionally avoided homes with security systems.
Tips:
1.) Instead of storing valuables in your night stand, put it in your child’s dresser. Burglars are more likely to look in the master bedroom rather than a child’s.
2.) Keep your car keys next to your bed when sleeping. If you hear a burglar in the middle of the night, press the panic button on your car. This will most likely scare the burglar off.
3.) If you cannot afford to purchase a security system, put a decal up anyway. An established thief may not be fooled, but you may elude a less experienced one.
4.) Protect yourself against a house fire. Make sure to have a working smoke detector and change the batteries once every year. Plan and practice a family escape route.
5.) Weather emergencies can happen at any time. Before these events occur, make sure to:
- Keep an emergency kit in your car
Photo by opposingviews.com - Have at least 3 days’ worth of food and water in your home at all times
- Assign one family member to learn first aid and CPR
6.) Falls are the leading injury related deaths for people 65 years or older. This can be prevented though. A few ways to keep your home safe is to:
- Install railings on both sides of the stairs
- Provide adequate light in every room of the house and outside the home
- Provide grab bars in the tub/ shower and near the toilet
- Harvard Medical School gives credits exercising as a great way to prevent the physical hardships of aging. Do activities like Tai Chi; it has been proven to improve balance and muscle tone
Sources: 13 Things You Never Knew About Home Safety; http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-things-you-never-knew-about-home-safety/view-all/
Home and Recreational Safety; http://www.nsc.org/learn/safety-knowledge/Pages/safety-at-home.aspx
8 Surprising Home Invasion & Burglary Statistics; http://www.safewise.com/blog/8-surprising-home-burglary-statistics/