Suttle Motor Corporation - Downtown Hampton Child Development

Product: DPress PubDate: 02-26-2009 Zone: ALL
Edition: 1ST Folio: B1
User: bthiel
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Time: 02-25-2009
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009
16:59 Color: C
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Halt hazards at home
Here are ways to make
a safe haven for elderly
parents or young children
By Prue Salasky
psalasky@dailypresss.com ❘ 247-4784
At least one-third of falls involving the elderly can be attributed to environmental
hazards in the home, according to Linda Thorpe, an assessment manager for Riverside Rehabilitation Institute.
Likewise, the danger from
house fires doubles for those
over 65 and doubles again for
those over 85, says Anthony
Chittum, community relations officer for Hampton’s
Division of Fire & Rescue.
Here are some common
safety flaws and how to remedy them.
1. Watch for tripping hazards. Even small steps, or the
thresholds between rooms in
older homes, can be a hazard.
If stairs are wooden, they
should have carpet treads
and all stairs should have
sturdy handrails.
2. Water safety in the bathroom. Set the water heater at
120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees C.) or lower to prevent
the danger of scalding. (Dishwashers require a minimum
temperature of 140 degrees F.
–– if used, they should have a
separate heating system.)
3. Grab bars are important.
Equipment for the bath,
shower and toilet are all
standard-issue, along with
nonslip mats and a shower
chair. A wobbly toilet can
also be dangerous, says
Christine Warfel, a certified
geriatric care manager with
Family Care Senior Solutions.
4. Avoid clutter, watch for
throw rugs. Clutter is the
number one hazard. Floors
should be kept clean, dry and
free from objects such as
newspapers, books and magazines. Electrical cords are a
prime culprit in falls, notes
Penny Peters of Visiting Angels, an elder-care company.
Then there are throw rugs.
Older people tend to shuffle
their feet, or can get a cane or
walker snagged on them, so
they’re best not used. Make
sure they have rubber, nonskid backing.
5. Keep emergency info
clearly posted. Emergency information –– phone numbers
and medical information ––
should be clearly posted either on the refrigerator or by
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY WAYNE ELFMAN/DAILY PRESS
By Nicole Paitsel
npaitsel@dailypress.com ❘ 247-4737
As is the case with every
parenting issue, there are different schools of thought
when it comes to child-proofing your home. Some remove
everything but the basics,
while others simply plug in a
few electrical socket safety
caps.
In either case, you should
know what the risks are for
your newly crawling and
walking child.
Here are some tips from
Laura Anderson, an infant
teacher at the Downtown
Hampton Child Development
Center.
A. Block access to frontloading washer and dryer.
Children often think the machines are fun playhouses,
but kids can suffocate or
drown once inside. Keep machine doors closed at all times
and, if possible, keep laundry
room door closed and childlocked.
B. Keep toilet lids down.
Toilets are an overlooked
drowning hazard, and they
should be locked with a child
safety attachment. Keep the
bathroom doors secured if
you don’t want to lock the toilet.
C. Keep mini-blinds pulled
up away from bedding. Small
children, even babies who
have just learned to stand,
can break off pieces of the
blinds and choke.
D. Keep all cords from dangling. Small children can be
easily strangled by dangling
cords. You can either loop
and knot the cords at the top,
or order free retrofit kits from
the Window Coverings Safety
Council at windowcoverings
.org.
E. Block both the bottom
and the top of stairs. People
often don’t remember that babies can climb from the bottom and fall. Stair-top gates
should bolt into the wall.
Stair-base gates can be tension-mounted.
The Home Safety Council
also has a lot of information
on child safety for all ages, as
well as a child-proofing
checklist on its Web site,
mysafehome.org.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also
has a thorough room-bySee CHILDREN/Page 2
See SENIORS/Page 2
Preview
Diggin’
In
_
KATHY VAN
MULLEKOM
Prune
roses in
winter
Roses, particularly Flower
Carpet and Knock Out roses,
are mainstays of my perennial garden. They are no-fuss,
no-muss roses that bloom and
look good without removing
old flowers or using chemicals.
I prune the roses before
March rolls in, using bypass
hand pruners to cut them
back to 12 to 18 inches above
ground.
When I need expert advice
on pruning hybrid tea and
other more specialized roses,
I turn to York County rosarians Carole and Wiley Waters. They are members of the
Virginia Peninsula Rose
Society, which will hold a
free pruning workshop 2 to 4
p.m. Sunday in the rose garden at Huntington Park in
Newport News.
“The ‘ideal’ time to prune
roses is when forsythia
blooms,” says Carole.
“Around here, that’s usually
late February. A little later or
earlier is fine; but if you’re
really late, go ahead and
prune anyway. It’s better to
prune late than not at all.”
The purpose of pruning is
to remove dead, diseased and
crossing canes, as well as to
maintain the desired shape of
the bush. Opening the center
of the bush allows air circulation, which reduces pest and
disease problems.
“If you are not sure what
kind of roses you have, it is
usually safe to cut back the
canes at least one third,” she
says.
Here are Carole’s tips on
February-March care for
roses:
Knock Out roses need a
little help. There is a misconception they need no care,
but they usually quickly
outgrow their space. Use
hedge trimmers to reduce
them at least one-third or
more. Pruning gives you
See DIGGIN’ IN/Page 2
WEEKEND TICKET
Saturday
Virginia Symphony Orchestra presents Verdi’s
“Requiem.” 8 p.m. Chrysler Hall, Norfolk. $23-$83.
Ticketmaster.
Friday
All Weekend
Maria Muldaur. 8 p.m. Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney
Ave., Suffolk. $30, $35. 923-2900.
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. 10 a.m. today-Sunday.
Hampton Roads Convention Center, 1610 Coliseum Drive,
Hampton. $14, free for kids under 16. $12 on Sunday.
315-1610.
Openings: “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience”
(above), “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” “Waltz
with Bashir”
See dailypress.com/entertainment or tomorrow’s
Weekend Ticket section for more event information.
Suttle Motor Corporation
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