Uneven pavements and the elderly
Whilst accompanying a 94 year old gentleman to the dentist I was able to appreciate the difficulty many elderly people have walking on uneven pavements. Charles uses a wheeled walker and tries to go out for a walk daily to maintain mobility and have some fresh air. In the twenty or so minutes we were walking I noticed the lack of dropped curbs, suitable safe crossing points and just the sheer camber of some of the pavements.
This was a dry and mild day so you can imagine the danger of an icy one. The safety bumps at the edge of the pavements where they meet the road are also terrible to manage for a frail person using a wheeled walking aid.
Some 2.5 million people aged over 65 have fallen due to poorly maintained pavements with over 30% ending up in hospital.
Having criticised the UK pavements however I have to admit they are still some of the best in Europe !
