Prevention of holiday disasters. What can you do? You can take specific steps in the areas of health care, loss of spouse or partner, holiday fires, and falls. Be aware that “People are more likely to die on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day in the United States” according to a study a group of sociologists conducted between 1979 and 2004. Find out more at:
New Study Identifies that Deaths spike on Christmas Day in the U.S.
Health Care in the Prevention of Holiday Disasters
Professor Phillips from the University of California San Diego believes the real reason for the holiday death rate increase is access to care. If you put off a trip to the hospital to spend time with family, you may risk losing your life.
One woman I know put off surgery for several months to take care of her sick son. That delay cost her an early death; the husband, the death of his wife; and the family, the loss of their mother.
Especially during the holiday season, Professor David Phillips advises you to “pay attention to your health and health resources.”
Loss of Spouse or Partner in the Prevention of Holiday Disasters
If someone you know loses a loved one over the holiday, be available to listen to the person. Invite the person to your home or a cafe for hot chocolate or cider. Mama always said, “If your daddy dies first, I’ll be dead in a month.”
If someone you know loses a loved one over the #holiday, be available to listen to the person. Share on XShe died first, and I invited Daddy to spend two weeks with me. He also stayed with me the second Christmas without Mama. Each day, we did something that we hadn’t done with Mama. You can read more about that on my website in my book, Moving from Broken to Beautiful® through Grief available here
In an article on CNN Health on Monday, December 23, 2013,
Why do more people die at Christmas, New Year’s? Andrew Meacham said he wrote many stories about a spouse or partner who died. The one left behind dies within an hour, days, weeks, or months. He writes about a relationship between body and mind.
Holiday Fires
Cooking, heating, and open flame all increase fires during the Christmas season. Those fires along with the ones from Christmas trees, holiday decorations, and candles cause far more damage than the average fire during the year.
You can set timers and use a lower temperature on your stove. Turn handles of pots and pans inward to prevent children from reaching up and pulling them down.
If you must use a space heater, keep clothing, paper, Christmas trees, and decorations far from the heater. Remember that you, little ones, seniors, or anyone else can suffer serious burns or death from that space heater fire.
If you must use a space heater, keep clothing, paper, #Christmas trees, and #decorations far from the heater. Share on XBuy a live tree on two conditions: only if you water it daily and take it down when it starts to dry.
Three families I know lost their homes, everything in them, and their cars in the garage because of an unattended candle. In one case, the spouse died in the fire. In the other two, a child did. Since those fires, I won’t burn a candle. I don’t want to wake up gasping for breath and my home in flames.
Each year, the news commentators show pictures of terrible fires from the kitchen, space heaters, Christmas trees, decorations, and candles. Take the necessary precautions and you won’t need to add yourself, your family, or others to the statistics.
Falls
Hospital emergency room staff treat about 5,800 individuals each year for injuries from falls involving holiday decorations. That staff also treats an additional 4,000 people a year for injuries associated with extension cords, such as tripping over them. Half of those injuries result in fractures, lacerations, contusions, or sprains.
When you decorate, think about the possibility of seniors, children, or others falling over those holiday decorations.
If you use an extension cord, consider what might happen if you, a loved one, or a guest should trip over it and suffer an injury.
When you decorate, think about the possibility of #seniors, #children, or others falling over those #holiday decorations and extension cords. Share on XRead more at The Dangers of Christmas Decorations
Prayer: God, help me do all I can in the prevention of holiday disasters. Amen.
In conclusion, in the prevention of holiday disasters, consider these four areas:
- health care
- loss of a spouse or partner
- holiday fires
- falls
If a family member, friend, or coworker can benefit from this article, please share it.
If you have a tip in the prevention of holiday disasters, please share it in the comments area at the blogpost article here
Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega December 9, 2019
