Getting older

[JanieB]

I was on my way to get a carton of milk when a friend called me in for a cuppa. She retired over Christmas. She'd been over to see her mother and when she got home her OH had been on the scotch.

The conversation got around to what we were going to do with our retirements and stuff like what we'd like our homes to be. A very salutary heads up for me.

I have lived in the countryside for most of my life, and on a farm for all of my married life. 20 years ago I met Brian and we moved in together in the house I still live in. It was on the edge of a small market town and we were close to fields and had wonderful views over the Thames Valley. It was the closest I've ever been to urban life. I have the house for my lifetime but when I die it reverts to my stepchildren.

Don't get me wrong, I love my house. However, I would love to live in a detached house on the edge of a small town or village close to fields. To be honest move my house back out to the edge of town. Conversation with my friends has made me realise that at this time of my life that I can at last afford my dream, it is totally impractical. My house is now near the centre of the town as housing estates go up all around me. I no longer have the view over the valley. The buses start at 6 am and are every 20 mins outside my house.

The thing that really brought reality of my age into focus was baths. I have a P shaped bath with a shower at one end. My friends were discussing the fact that some baths have a stippled bottom to prevent slipping and some don't. Mine doesn't so I have one of those non-slip mats. I absolutely agree that they aren't nice but without it the bath is very slippery. I live on my own. I have visitors but if I don't answer the door they assume I'm out. Should I slip in the bath and break something I could lie there for days or even weeks before anyone realised.

[veggiechicken]

Why worry about slipping in the bath when you're alone. You could fall down the stairs, trip over the rug, fall in the garden etc etc. You can't have stippled bottoms everywhere
Most people (except me) seem to have their mobile phones with them at all times, that's your emergency lifeline, not a casual visitor.

[Guest]

You could get locked in a room by a faulty latch - I had that happen last week Just to make it really cosy it was hubby, me and the girls in the bedroom for 20mins, thank goodness for hording old metal coat hangers

[JanieB]

Why worry about slipping in the bath when you're alone. You could fall down the stairs, trip over the rug, fall in the garden etc etc. You can't have stippled bottoms everywhere
Most people (except me) seem to have their mobile phones with them at all times, that's your emergency lifeline, not a casual visitor.

I don't carry my phone around on principal. Although, if I fell on the stairs, tripped on a rug etc it would probably be around. It would not be in the shower.

And I've been caught in a room with a faulty latch last year. I kicked the door in.

I also tripped up in my son's bedroom which is currently only used for storage and fell backwards into a very large and strong box. It took me over an hour to get out of it. I was very, very scared.

I suppose what I'm scared of is having an accident and not being found. Actually more frightened for my dogs than me.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Easy to say but we can't live our lives by what might happen.. Much better for us to have a positive outlook if that is at all possible

[Verinda]

My dad had a panic button just a small thing he wore like a necklace, he never actually pressed it but it was reassuring for us to know he had it. If he pressed it a voice boomed out of this machine he had by his phone asking if he was ok, if he didn't reply an ambulance would have been called. I am in Ireland but I presume a similar service is available in Uk?

[Florence Fennel]

Although I don't live alone so I can't put myself in your place Janie, I believe like AP does that you shouldn't worry about what "might" happen. If you are seriously worried, could you not get one of those alarms that you wear? Take care and you'll be fine

[JanieB]

I'm not seriously worried it was just what came out in conversation. As in you put things in place to safeguard yourself especially when you're on your own. I'm not yet senile nor unfit, and if I had someone else living here I wouldn't have the rubber mat. I realised that as I get older I will need to make compromises and I will probably need some of the stuff advertised on afternoon TV thatI currently sneer/laugh at. Hopefully not anyway near yet.

[bearded bloke]

Ahhh what you really need Janie are some whimsical adhesive ducks with umbrella's, like Dr.Sheldon Cooper uses ...........