10 | SUNRAYS FEBRUARY 2014
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
F
alls are the leading cause of accidental death
among adults aged 65 and older. Every year,
nearly one million people over the age of 65 are
treated in emergency rooms for injuries. Help
prevent some of these accidents bymaking some
changes in your home. Here are some ways to prevent injuries:
• Clear clutter from the walkways of your home. You should
never have to walk around furniture or other clutter.
• Remove throw rugs or use double-sided tape or a non-slip
backing to secure them.
• Never walk over extension cords. If you must use an exten-
sion cord, place it on the floor against a wall where you won’t
trip over it. Never lay a rug over any cord.
• Move the phone so that telephone cords will not be where
people will walk over them.
• Use nightlights in every bathroom, bedroom and hallway.
• Make sure all patio steps are secure and have rails, to pro-
vide support and balance. Provide adequate lighting for the
porch area.
• Wipe up spills when they happen.
• Have a mat or non-slip strips in the tub and shower.
• Have grab bars installed in the shower and by the toilet.
• Keep a telephone next to your bed.
• Before climbing on any step stool, make sure it is fully opened
and stable.
• Wear shoes when you’re inside and outside your home.
Emergency personnel are trained to look for the Resident Emer-
gency Preparedness sticker (available from the Social Center
Monitor) or the Vial of L.I.F.E sticker on the window nearest
your front door. You can download the form from the Emergency
Management Commmittee website; fill it out and put it in a zip
lock bag and place it in the refrigerator. The refrigerator will pro-
tect the information in case of fire, flood, or other major damage.
Basic Emergency Items
In case of emergency, you should consider having the following
items in a clearly labeled container so that everything can easily
be found and ready to go if necessary; place the container off
the floor in case of flood.
• First aid kit—make sure that its contents are up-to-date
and appropriate for you
• Two flashlights with working batteries, a battery-powered
radio to obtain information in an emergency and a weather
radio with working batteries
• Extra batteries for all devices, an extra pair of glasses and
extra prescription medication
• Any medical equipment such as wheelchairs or oxygen
• Medical insurance and Medicare cards and serial numbers
for any medical devices
• Medical alert system (a wallet or bracelet)
• Medical personal information sheet
• Extra cash
• Keep your car at least half full of fuel at all times
CA NEWS
Water Matters
Submitted by Carlton M Mathis, Water Management
One of the more frequently asked ques-
tions I get is, “Why is my water bill so
high?” To answer the question I need to
start at the source, the water meter. The
image below is of a standard water meter.
The triangle shape in the center monitors
low flow of water through the meter.
With all the water shut off inside the
house (toilets, washers, faucets,
etc.) the triangle will be com-
pletely stationary. If there is
any movement of the triangle,
there is a water leak and a pro-
fessional repair person will need
to be consulted. With the trian-
gle stationary, and ruling out
regular household usage, we can
Is Your Home an Accident Waiting to Happen?
Submitted by Pat Hooper, Past EMC Member
CPR/AED/FIRST AID CLASSES
CPR/AED/First Aid classes are taught regularly
in Sun City Texas. For information, contact
Barbara Akers at
nowmove on to the irrigation system as a probable culprit.
The typical water meter in Sun City Texas is three-quarters
of an inch (3/4”) and rated up to 20 gallons per minute. It
is possible to estimate irrigation usage by multiplying the
system’s total run time for the month, in minutes, by 20.
The resulting number is a reasonably accurate projection
of usage. In other words, for every minute your irrigation
system is operating, 20 gallons of water is used. If the
program runs for a total of 90 minutes, you can expect
water consumption to be close to 1,800 gallons.
Water Saving Tips:
• Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost vegetable
food waste instead and save gallons every time.
• If your shower fills up a one gallon bucket in less than 20
seconds, replace the shower head with a water-efficient
model.
