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District nursing associations
The age range covered by the district nursing associations was wider than might
have been expected—for children under five the pattern of accidents and the reasons
therefor were similar to that revealed by the health visitors. The following comments
are therefore confined to the 196 accidents reported to have occurred to people aged 60
and over. The make-up of the total was as follows:
Falls 105
Scalds 52
Burns 30
Miscellaneous 9
196
An analysis of the immediate and underlying causes of the 105 falls is set out in
Table VI. The underlying causes can be grouped into four categories—e.g., age (40 per
cent.), infirmity (20 per cent.) miscellaneous including poor housing conditions (30 per
cent.), and old equipment, untidiness or over-cleanliness (10 per cent.)—this last group
probably comprises the truly preventable accidents. When the immediate causes are
examined the misuse of chairs is apparent also ; the reasons given for standing on chairs
included hanging curtains, cleaning windows and in one case putting money in a meter.
The gas and electricity authorities are prepared to remedy the position when a meter is so
placed that an elderly person has to climb to get at it. It is understood that the alteration
is made first and the question of payment is considered on its merits later and according
to the means of the old person. (In many cases it is free of charge.) In planning the
Council's dwellings it is the Council's policy to arrange for gas meters and electricity
meters and fuses to be placed at a reasonable height and in an accessible position.
As regards scalds and burns there is an overlap in that some common agencies caused
both—notably hot water bottles. If the two types of accident are considered together
the more common agencies were:
Hot water bottles 22
Kettles 21
Boiling liquid in other containers including saucepans and teapots 16
Fires 8
As regards hot water bottles, accidents arose because of splashing when filling,
perishing or bursting, or being too hot. There does seem a real need to advise people,
particularly the aged and those who care for them about the temperature of the water
with which bottles are filled and the best method of so doing together with the need for
covers (for those which are not of the serrated rubber type) and of replacement at the
earliest sign of perishing. Rubber washers on hot water bottles made of earthenware or
metal may also need to be replaced. It is relevant to state in addition that among the
accidents to persons under 60 years of age reported by the district nursing associations
16 were due to hot water bottles.
There was nothing startling about the data on scalds involving other containers such
as kettles, saucepans and teapots—some were due to an unsteady hand, failing eyesight or
a combination of both, and others to protruding handles ; of the burns from fires, five
were caused by sitting too near—presumably the fire burnt up and the old person
concerned was unaware in time of the greater heat being thrown out—possibly because
they were dozing or because of their lower sensitivity to heat—it could perhaps be
emphasised that warmer clothing is better than sitting too close to the fire.
Summary and conclusions
(1) Over four-fifths of home accidents, whether fatal or non-fatal, occur among the
population aged under five years or 65 years and over.
(2) The most important single cause in either group is falls, which affect predominantly
elderly people, particularly women.
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