February 2009 - Posts
Omaha, NE, police responding to an alarm sounding ended up catching a would-be burglar in the act Saturday morning.
Officers arrived at the La Michoacana store near 24th and E streets around 4 a.m. and noticed an open window and could hear noise coming from inside.
Police were able to call the suspect out of the building and arrested 34-year-old Jerome Kohrell of Omaha without incident. Kohrell was booked on charges of burglary and possession of burglar's tools.
Below is a question posed to the Heath Editors of the Abilene Reporter:
QUESTION: As a woman in her mid 70s, I've become increasingly scared of falling. I feel more limited in what I can do safely. How can I keep from falling? And what should I do if I fall?
ANSWER: Falls among seniors pose a major medical problem. Women, who now make up the majority of the elderly population, are especially vulnerable to injuries from falls.
About 35 percent of people over age 65 fall in their homes at least once a year. That figure increases to 50 percent for those ages 75 and over. There is less information on falls among individuals over age 85, but one study of people ages 91 to 105 found that about 60 percent had at least one fall in the course of a year.
Although many injuries from falls are minor, others can be nasty, including major cuts and bruises, broken bones and head trauma. Such injuries may lead to hospitalization, disability, the need for nursing home care and even premature death. Falls also have psychological consequences. Fear of falling is associated with a general loss of confidence and can lead to depression, isolation and a decline in physical function due to lack of activity.
Not surprisingly, there has been considerable research on how to prevent falls in older people. Recommended preventive strategies include strength training and balance work, vision checks and a review of medications and their possible side effects (dizziness or sedation, for example).
A recent study in the British journal BMJ showed that staying down after a fall is more common among people ages 85 and over than previously thought. The researchers noted that 60 percent of the participants fell at least once during the year of the study. Of those who fell, 88 percent were alone at the time, four out of five needed help getting up, and 30 percent remained on the floor for over an hour.
As a result, the authors suggest that fall-prevention programs teach older people how to get up from a fall on their own. The first step: Stay calm, take a few deep breaths and then call for help.
It's important to alert someone if you fall so that you get immediate care. Here are more tips for reducing the complications of falls:
* Buy a medical-alert system that allows you to activate an alarm by pressing a wearable button. The alarm calls a trained operator who can alert emergency personnel. Models for women include bracelets and necklaces.
* If you are alone a lot, carry a cell phone or a cordless phone at all times. Or install telephones in several rooms, and place them at a level you can reach from the floor. This can make calling for help easier if you fall.
* If you live alone, arrange for a friend or family member to check in with you daily at a particular time. Make sure she or he has a key in case you don't respond in a reasonable amount of time.
* If you've ever fallen, and especially if you've fallen more than once, tell your doctor. Ask him or her for suggestions on how you can stay active and avoid falls in the future.
For young and old alike, life is full of ups and downs. But it's particularly important for senior citizens to do everything to stay on the up and up.
New Rutgers University research provides an indisputable correlation to support the fact that alarm systems reduce burglaries.
In fact, the five-year study shows that in Newark, NJ, an increase in registered residential alarm systems resulted in a 40 percent decrease in burglaries during a five-year period.
What distinguishes this study is that it statistically proves alarm systems not only protect homes without displacing burglars to nearby houses but even provide those homes associated protection.
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Colorado bill requiring new homes and houses for sale to have carbon-monoxide detectors is headed to Gov. Bill Ritter's desk.
The House passed the bill Wednesday on a 42-19 vote after approving some minor amendments from the Senate, sending it on to Ritter. His spokesman, Evan Dreyer, said the governor would sign the bill.
"Tragically, and perhaps avoidably, we lost a number of Coloradans this winter to carbon-monoxide poisoning," Dreyer said. "This legislation will save lives and prevent these types of deaths from happening in the future."
House Bill 1091 would require that all homes built after July 1 or put up for sale on or after that date have carbon-monoxide detectors installed. The legislation requires any apartment buildings built after that date to have CO detectors, and it would require that existing apartments rented to new tenants after July 1 be equipped with the alarms.
Ashes fell like snowflakes from the roof of a house on Artee Road in Cleveland County, NC.
Neighbors said they are still shaken by what they saw -- a tired little boy fresh from the hospital who escaped a roaring fire.
“It was like wildfire. Orange and red everywhere,” a neighbor said.
The fire was so frightening that it moved many to action. They began taking steps to protect themselves.
“I heard a smoke alarm is what woke him up,” said Jeff McCray.
So McCray went from room to room last night, checking each smoke detector to make sure it works.
The 11-year-old boy saved by the smoke detector sound suffers from severe migraine headaches. Their landlord said that Tuesday his mother decided to take him to the hospital, but leave her 8-year0old daughter behind.
“She asked if we could keep the little girl while she was gone,” Bob Bridges said.
When they returned, the tired 11-year-old laid down on the he couch. His mother started cooking dinner, and then decided to go next door to get her daughter.
He said a couple of minutes later the alarm sounded. The food on the stove had caught fire.
“(The boy) came running out yelling, ‘The house is on fire!’ When I got out here, the kitchen area was complete ablaze,” Bridges said.
The family dog ran deeper into the home and died.
“Maybe he was making sure the children were gone,” Bridges said.
The fire has changed the neighborhood for the better.
“We are getting a new fire extinguisher and we are putting new batteries in our fire alarm,” said Chrissy Davidson.
Neighbors said the family now being helped by Red Cross.