Accidents to old people in their homes.

Three out of four fatal accidents in the home involve people aged 65 years or more, and in more than half the victim is over 75. In 1964 3 % of all the deaths of men and 4.8% of all the deaths of women of 65 and over were attributable to accidents rather than disease (Boucher, 1966). Old people spend relatively little time out of doors. We recognize that they are specially at risk in traffic, yet some 80% of the accidents which befall them are mishaps in the home environment. Many of these could be prevented: here, then, is a fruitful field for endeavour. Of all accidental deaths -of old people at home 95 % are attributable to a burn or scald, to coal-gas poisoning, or to a fall. Burns are especially dangerous to them, for at the age of 70 a 10% area burn carries a 50% mortality (Bull and Squire, 1949). Further, of our 900 coal-gas-poisoning deaths a year three-quarters occur in old people: in this age group these