Here’s an idea

Cut accidents in the home by fitting extra safety equipment

Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust in east London wanted to cut the number of accident victims admitted to Whitechapel hospital and this fitted with our requirement to meet the safety needs of local people.

Both the hospital and the trust are on the Tower Hamlets Partnership community action group, so we teamed up to deliver a scheme to fit safety equipment in people’s homes. The project won £102,000 backing from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund for Bow in east London.

Most accidents happen to the under-fives or the over-60s and because funding was limited we had to make sure those receiving the equipment were in these age groups. Older people were offered slip-resistant bath mats, smoke alarms, reaching aids, anti-scald plugs, chain locks and hand-rails. People with young children were offered safety gates, socket covers, cupboard locks, door jammers, restrictors on windows and “poison” stickers. Research shows these items can cut accidents 10% if installed and accompanied by advice.

We also had lots of alarms that screw on to light-bulb fittings. Often, people don’t install alarms given out by the fire brigade; it’s easier to screw in a light bulb.

It’s always a problem making people realise they can access a new project. We went out several times a week to tell people about it, sent out flyers and advertised in the local paper. To reach young families we went to nurseries and mum and toddler groups and took a stand at a fair run by the emergency services.

To reach older people, we worked with Age Concern and health visitors. We provided equipment for 300 tenants, from private and social housing (41% for young children and 57% for over-60s). Our caretakers did the work for the children and Age Concern had a person whom we paid to install equipment for the over-60s.

We’ve still to do follow-up work to see if it has cut accidents, but the tenants really loved it. It was nice to give things out for free.