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Paul’s story
Watch a video about Paul’s story.
Paul was making the most of his retirement by painting the exterior of his house. It was a job that had needed to be done for a while, and now he had the time, he got to work sanding and painting the weatherboards.
He was racing the sun at the end of the day. It was starting to get dark, his glasses were covered in sawdust, and he was tired, but he just wanted to get the job done.
Paul was leaning over, rather than going down the ladder, moving the ladder and going back up again. He just reached out to try and sand the last bit. That’s when the ladder became unstable, and he fell. He landed with a great thud on the concrete. He had hit his head and was in a lot pain, particularly back pain.
Paul was a nurse for 32 years and he was quite aware that such a fall could cause death. He was too scared to move from the ground.
‘I’ve seen injuries from lesser trauma that resulted in paraplegia or quadriplegia, so I was worried that I had done something really bad,’ explains Paul.
Paul had fractured ribs, a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) and his back was in a lot of pain.
He had an existing back problem and the fall exacerbated the problem. A year after the fall, Paul still experienced a lot of pain with his back.
‘I’ve always been independent and I still want to do things, but my back pain slows me down,’ Paul says.
‘Once upon a time I could spend all day doing quite vigorous work, now I can only spend a short amount of time,’ he explains. ‘After just a bit of gardening I’m in pain – and the next day as well. The physical pain exacerbates how you feel in general.’
Paul still does things around the home. He’s been up the ladder again. He’s even painted other parts of the house; however that one section remains unfinished. He can’t bring himself to paint that wall just yet.
He realises now that he made a few bad decisions on the day. The biggest issue was that he was overreaching, rather than going down the ladder, moving it, and climbing back up again.
‘At the time, I just wanted to hurry it up,’ Paul says. ‘Now I take all the time in the world.
‘I’ll take 10 minutes just to stabilise the ladder. I’ll also take my mobile with me, just in case something happens.
‘Every time you’re using a ladder, you’re taking a risk. Don’t let it come down to luck. If you think about it first, you can be safe.’
Ladder safety tips
Read some tips to keep you safe while you are using a ladder, including how to:
- make sure your ladder is safe and right for the job
- work in the right conditions
- set up your ladder safely
- work safely up the ladder
- know when to get help.
Where to get help
- If you or someone you know has had a fall and is seriously injured and needs urgent medical help, call triple zero (000)
- Your GP (doctor) – if you have had a fall, for information about safe use of medications and for referrals to a Falls and Mobility Clinic near you
- A physiotherapist – for suitable exercise programs to improve your strength, balance and coordination to reduce your risk of falls
- Better Health Channel – Falls services for older people
- My Aged Tel. 1800 200 422
- Carers Tel. 1800 242 636
- Council on the Ageing (COTA) Tel. 1300 135 090
- Independent Living Centre Tel. (03) 9362 6111