Why Elderly Gun Safety is Important
Melinda Weber
Tarrant County College
Why Elderly Gun Safety is Important
When we look at today’s elderly population, we are seeing tremendous growth in the amount of people living past the age of sixty-five. We can thank this growth in the average life-expectancy to the many advancements in the medical world. With this growth, many factors on how to properly support this growing population are put into question. One of the biggest factors that we are facing is the housing of these individuals. When we look into where we are housing this growing population, we are seeing may remaining within their own homes, in an assisted living center or in the homes in the homes of family members. Not only are we as health care professionals having to supply support and care for this growing number, we are also having to look into the risk factors associated with the daily living of the population. One of the most common risk factors that we as a professional must address is the safety of one’s home environment. There are many concerns that come to mind when assessing this factor, but one that is overlooked is gun safety. When looking into the significance of the teaching on gun safety, we have two different audiences we have to take into consideration. We have to take into consideration the elderly adult in which we are caring for and the education of the caregivers of these individuals.
When we look at the different ailments that our elderly population are faced with, the most significant and life altering diseases that require a significant amount of home safety education are Dementia and Alzheimer’s. A majority of this population remain living in their own homes with their spouse or go to live with a family member who can assist in providing the proper care that they need. When we as a profession look into the ways that we can support this group, we have to assess and teach on home safety. One of the most frequent problems that most witness in this population is the declining of their ability to perform every day functions (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). The skills of most concern or most thought of are the person’s ability to drive, ability to cook on the stove, being home alone and wandering or getting lost (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). The factor that is overlooked most and/ or is never even addresses is the ownership and/or possession of a firearm (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). As Mertnes and Sorenson (2012) provide in their article, “The most recent data from the General Social Survey indicate that 37.2% of those aged 65 years or older live in a home with a firearm” (p.397). Even though most gun owners are trained in safe handling of guns, the progression of such diseases can and will cause this training to fade because of cognitive decline (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). Another concern that comes into play with guns and the elderly, is the presence of depression. When you have depression in the picture, suicide is a major concern to health professionals. As mentioned by Pinholt, Mitchell, Butler and Kumar (2014, p. 1142), when they analyzed the suicide rate for men over the age of 80 during the time from of 2005-2010, it was found that the rate was 41.11 per 100,000. Of this number, 80% of those that did commit suicide used a firearm (Pinholt, Mitchell, Butler, & Kumar, 2014). This risk is even compounded more in individuals that were diagnosed with dementia and had direct access to firearms and ammunition (Pinholt et al., 2014). With all of the risks that come with guns and such diseases as Alzheimer’s and dementia, one never knows when guns will become a danger. As always, we as health professionals’ want to allow our patients to participate in decisions that pertain to their life. That is why it’s so important to address safety risk with caregivers early in the disease process (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). That way guns within the home do not cause as much of a risk as they could potentially create.
Sometimes a diagnoses of such diseases comes much later in the disease process or caregivers fail to have conversations early on. This in return places the caregiver in a very unsafe and unpredictable situation and environment.
Some symptoms of Alzheimer’s (hallucinations) have been associated with aggressive behavior. Aggressiveness combined with highly intimidating and lethal weapon like a firearm creates a particular dangerous situation for the person with Alzheimer’s and his caretaker. Anecdotal reports of this issue include a July 2010 New York Times article that discussed the fear expressed by caretakers of armed Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. (Mertens & Sorenson, 2012, p. 398)