Concrete patios do not make for a soft landing
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- August 4, 2018
- 1411
We built a house many years ago that had no steps, either inside or out. It was built to be elderly accessible as well as handicapped accessible. One must plan for the future when planning one’s forever house.
Interestingly enough those precautions were never needed in that house. And as it turned out, it wasn’t to be our forever house. In fact that place was three houses back. Our current place is one story, but it does have steps, topped by a stoop, to reach the front door.
A front porch is being planned for that entrance but hasn’t quite made it out of the planning stages. My Taller Half and I are still arguing, er, discussing the dimensions of that future porch. As luck would have it, while deep in those discussions, I managed to take a fall off the unprotected side of the stoop and do my body a painful mischief.
Take my advice. Do not fall off your stoop, porch or deck unless it is into a warm pool or spa. Concrete patios do not make for a soft landing.
My Taller Half was in the shower, so he didn’t hear my screams. However, several of our neighbors did and came running. Needless to say, I dropped the dogs' leashes, and they, sensing freedom, took off down the street. A brave neighbor managed to corral our dogs and bring them back home. He also helped me back into the house just in time for my Taller Half to walk out of the shower, fortunately, wrapped in a towel. He took one look at me and ran to get dressed.
After hours in the emergency room and overnight in the hospital, I was released to return to our shocked abode. Our nice house wrapped her walls around me and tried to comfort me as best she could. Nothing quite like getting the sleep in your own bed.
I am recovering very nicely, the dogs have calmed down, and my Taller Half has risen to the occasion and taken over the house-care chores as best he can. Our house is still very nervous every time I open the front door, but I haven’t gone outside quite yet. That will come, but not until we have a new porch enclosed with sturdy rails.