"crash, smash, bang.oops she never expected that. Wow!!!!!!!!!!

@Hatley (163781)
Garden Grove, California
April 9, 2012 3:33pm CST
Someone on the staff had moved a table for four endwise to our table for some odd reason. In doing this the staff did not leave room for walkers or wheelchairs to some of the adjacent tables. I was sitting about a foot or more away from the table when Perla tried to get her walker through the small space. She pushed gently on the table hoping it would slide over. Nothing happened. Now perla is a sweet person but like me she does have a quick temper.oh oh oops. she gave it hard shove I imagine hoping it would then slide over. OH my gosh it slide It buckled and collapsed. table ware all over the floor and sugar spilled but the worst was the plate glass top also crashed in six pieces and one long dagger sized piece which missed my ankle about ten inches.Thank goodness for that. You can imagine the hubbub as they got caregivers to come clean up the mess and right the table. It appeared to me that that table when moved had had one leg not fully engaged so a good hard shove did prove disastrous. My question your take. some of the staff are angry with Perla but somehow with one leg not locked in position, that table was an accident waiting to happen. . So was Perla to blame or was it just a stupid accident? your take fellow mylotters.
4 people like this
25 responses
@celticeagle (157593)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Apr 12
My goodness. That could have been a more horrible situation than it was. What a mess! Glad it missed you. Never a dull moment around that place is there? Just a stupid accident. The table shouldn't have been there and Perla was just trying to get through. They should have a floor plan and have it markded out or something.
• Canada
9 Apr 12
I definitely agree with the floor plan. Do they have blind residents? What if a blind resident was not expecting the table in the way, and tripped over it, or just walked into it, and the faulty leg fell? I've been in similar situations, being legally blind. I'd not be at fault. They would be at fault for not making my home safe.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
we do have two residents who are very blind but they are seated by the doors on purpose. this was more out in the middle of the room and it was placed so it blocked paths of any of us who needed to get out with our walkers they moved it back again tonight.I am just glad no one got cut with the big chunks of glass. that one long dagger like piece landed within ten inches of my ankle. I think perhsps the care givers or yara may learned to be more careful seeing that all the legs are locked.
@celticeagle (157593)
• Boise, Idaho
10 Apr 12
I really think this place needs be more safety concious. So many things happen and it is scarey to think what could happen.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
10 Apr 12
I would say it was a "stupid accident" and, personally, I wouldn't blame Perla and neither should the staff. It could've been a lot worse, as you say. One thing puzzles me, however. Wasn't the glass shatterproof? Over here glass has to conform to certain standards (called BS..not b*llsh*t as you might expect lol, it stands for British Standards I think) but is it the same in the US for glass? I'd love to know.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
yes it is the same here too Janey which is why I was shocked ath the wayu it broke and its heavy glass one big shee of heavy glass that fit the table top. all the showers in places like motels hotels and apt complexes have to have the shatterproof glass in place.It was all just an unfortunate accident that c ould have been prevented had they checked t o see all legs were locked.
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
11 Apr 12
To say it was an accident , I think you are right Janey. But I think that accident could be prevented. I don't know whos responsibility was to prevent it though. I guess it was a big company with workers and the manager who bought the furniture had to think about it , but , you can't just write rules for everything , even about how to move carefully the tables and how to treat the furniture. I have never seen such a thing. The interesting thing now is what will the company say about it , what lessons they will write. In the army , every accident like fire in the kitchen or some other accidents are investigated deep. Then new ruls come out and are being acknowledged to everyone , being written on the , on notes , on message boards , and all... Tell me Hatley , what did the company do about the accident ? Did they make any gathering and told everyone about the accident ? Did they make rulse ?
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
9 Apr 12
No Perla was not to blame at all. This was not her fault.If I was in Perla shoes I would of did the same thing. The staff should of made sure the leg was all the way engaged. Maybe there was a lesson learned, so the next time they will check the leg to make sure it all the way enaged. Glad that Perla and yourself were ok.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi babystar1 yes she really did not expect that to happen, I imagined it would slide too but it more or less just crumpled' on itself.Hope they learned to check all the legs before doing any more mo vin.I am glad nobody was hurt. as the glass sure'diu break. one dagger like piece landed ten inches from my ankle.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
10 Apr 12
It sounds like an accident waiting to happen since they didn't leave the room for walkers or wheelchairs. I wonder why they did that? Peria should have said something about it when they got mad at her, I would have..
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi carm and ravisivan.Oh that was so we could have our picture taken for G sakes with a care taker dressed like an E aster Bunny,.and this is an easter celebration? oh c ome we are not kids'here but older people.For that they carelessly moved a table and I know at least one of the legs was not locked. so when Perla gave it a good shove it just crumbled and that heavy plate glass top broke in six pieces. nobody was hurt. Perla was furious and I did not blame her as they had not made a path wide enough fot he walker. I have pushed our own table a good foot over without an y harm but whoever placed our table had made sure the legs were all buckled up like they should be.that poor lady I do feel for her. my social security check and My ssi check pay for all the room and board here and leave me with 128 dollars for myself. this place is not cheap at all , its over 1000 dollars for each person in a double room, those in private pay a lot more. cost of living is Ca in the US is very expensive, there are over 100 residents now living here.As older people go I feel very lucky as I had social security and my bad leg and my diabetes qualified me to get SSI funds too.I am happy ravi b ut would have loved to have seen my son get a top paying job so we could have got back into an apt again. but he does have an almost full time job at fifteen dollars an hour which is less than he made before but as he said after being jobless for 2 years " a job is a job now Mom"
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
10 Apr 12
Hatley aunty: Your son must be 60+ years old. In USA people are used to working till 70s. I have seen many old people working in malls, costco, target etc. I wish your son get a job wherein he is paid more and he can manage his family well.May be it is the turn of grand children to take care.
1 person likes this
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
9 Apr 12
Perla was NOT to blame but naturally the staff will try to place the blame on someone else because this could have been, like you said, disastrous! The angels were certainly looking out for you, that's for sure. I'm so glad to hear that you weren't hurt. It's the staff's responsibility to ensure the safety of every resident there and they were definitely lacking in that department. I'd say it is specifically the fault of whomever it was who moved that table for two reasons: (1) not allowing enough room for all residents to safely move between the tables and (2) for not ensuring that all the legs were locked in place. I would bet on the responsible person (the one who moved the table) to be the person being the loudest about this being Perla's fault. Nope, it most certainly is NOT her fault. I wouldn't even call it a stupid accident, I'd want to call it an extremely irresponsible action on the part of the person who moved that table without thinking about all possible and serious consequences. I'm happy that neither you nor Perla was hurt by this.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Apr 12
hi mentalward you know had I been hurt I think I would have really bawled as I have just finished paying in 25 dollar payments 200 dollars on the ambulance co pay I had from last year.. anyway I am sure Yara the activity director and some other staff member were the careless ones who did not check the legs on that table. So she of course scolded Perla. Perla was so angry she was not even reacting to Yara though.I hope it goes no further and that that table is put back where it belongs. lol
@SinfulRose (3527)
• Davao, Philippines
9 Apr 12
How about the person who didn't make sure that the table was safe for use? I will hold that person responsible. I mean, who would move a table and not notice that a leg is not properly placed? Isn't that the mover's responsibility?
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Apr 12
Hi SinfulRoes yes indeed it was that person;s responsiblity.I was just thinking I and our branch manager often moved library tables that had those same sort of legs. before we left we made sure all the legs were locked in place. We never had any such accident in the library and our s was a b usy library too.
• Davao, Philippines
9 Apr 12
lol. I'm just thinking, if it had been them arranging those tables, you would see accidents in that library everyday. We shouldn't be careless with even the minute things anymore especially when even our surroundings is already filled with danger... It makes me think, also, how those people even thought in that situation you mentioned above. I mean, why would they scold Perla? What were they thinking?! I hope someone scolded the staff--in charge of the arrangement--too.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Apr 12
hi sinfulrose I was surprised because I would have guessed that Yara, the activities director and someone else on staff were the ones to move the table. it was put in at an awkard angle and one of the legs could not have been locked in place'or ikt would not have collapsed like that. Idoubt if anyone will scold Yara. lol
@GardenGerty (157049)
• United States
10 Apr 12
My opinion . . . they should not move furniture without giving consideration to people who must use the space. It can prove confusing and disastrous. Secondly, if they move furniture, it needs to be in sound working condition when put in its new place. Perla did not plan to turn the table over. . . she did need through. It sounds as if the glass table tops are dangerous anyway. Any furniture that can be knocked over by a little old lady with a walker is probably not stable enough to use in that environment. Oh, and I am glad the glass shard missed your ankle.
@GardenGerty (157049)
• United States
10 Apr 12
I have known some seniors who would enjoy that activity, but not many. Usually they would rather see the little kids interact with the character. People who are involved in determining the best practices for seniors would say that was not age appropriate.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi gardengerty thanks Ia m too as that would be my lu ck to get hurt and have them send me in an ambulance to some hospital.I just paid of in 25 dollar increments two hundred dollars and have fifty yet to go. no nobody was hurt but I was amazed that that heavy plate glass table top broke like that. A shard of glass about the size of a swore came flying and landed ten inches from my foot.oh am I glad it missed.they moved the table back to where it belonged tonight.the reason for moving it? so they could take pictures of uw with a caretaker dressed as an Easter bunny. oh my gosh do they think we are little kids? how stupid.
1 person likes this
• Canada
9 Apr 12
Would you please do me a favou, and show my response to the people who are angry with Perla? Thank you. IT WAS NOT PERLA'S FAULT!!!! The fault lies in two departments. a) The person who made or placed the table, without testing to make sure it was secure. b) The person who moved the table, so that Perla did not have room for her walker. A similar thing happened to me, not with a table, but with a faulty railing. I was at my hotel this weekend, and getting into the hot tub. To avoid slipping on the steps, I use the railing, which is supposed to be SECURE, and lower myself to the ground, then I put my legs in the water, and enter the tub sitting down. Well, as I was lowering myself down, the weld on the railing CAME RIGHT OFF!!! The area was completely flat, meaning it was a horrible welding job. The railing crashed into the tub, made a big spash, scared the crap out of me, and I let fly some very effective cuss-words in English, French, Serbian, and German. Was it my fault for "breaking the railing?" NO IT WAS NOT!!! Should I have held my tongue? (BTW no one complained about my language!! They all AGREED with me), would you hold your tongue if you almost fell into a hot tub possibly drowning, or knocking yourself unconcious on the tiles? Sure people react in strange ways when scared or frustrated, but these reactions are completely human. If the staff doesn't want a repeat of this action, use secure tables, and for crying out loud, GIVE PEOPLE ROOM FOR THEIR WHEELCHAIRS AND WALKERS!!! If *I* were Perla, I'd have sued the home for using unsafe equipment. The fact that the table buckled after a good shove from an elderly person means that that was NOT a good safe table. The people at the tome need to GET OVER IT, and if she doesn't sue them, they'll be lucky!!!
1 person likes this
• Canada
10 Apr 12
Tile and water yes, but I also could have hit my head on the tile, fallen unconcious into the hot tub, and drowned. They need to be extra careful, because the next person who has an accent might not be so nice about not suing.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
oh my= having that railing come off had to be the worst. I did nt blame you for swearing in a few languages. wow.As for tile you can really get hurt with a fall on tile floors for example like I id a year ago this past February. I fell face down on a wet spot on the tiled floor. broke my nose, cheekbones, and really injured my right knee. tile and water is a dangerous situation,So I guess alls well that ends well as nobody was hurt although glass table top was broken in six pieces. we have a handgrip in our bath tub shower and I bought my own non skid rubber floor matt for more protection a aagainst falls.Yes they were lucky I did not sue a year ago and now they are lucky again that Perla dis not su e them
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
10 Apr 12
hi hatley, In my opinion, this is entirely the fault of the staff that arranged the tables and did not take care to leave enough room for wheel chairs to pass comfortably through. They work in a place where there are plenty of wheel chairs and so when rearranging furniture and things, that should have been tops on their minds. The fact that the leg wasn't fully engaged tells me that even without Perla pushing it, this table would have collapsed at some point. Should Perla have shoved the table? Well...sure she could have waited for help but truthfully, I can imagine her frustration. There are enough places in public that are difficult for those in chairs to access and here she is living in a place that is supposedly set up to accomodate....I can't really blame her frustration. I say it is the fault of the workers.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
10 Apr 12
stories like this irritate the living you-know-what out of me! So they are treating the elderly as if they were children??!? I find that to be an insult to yours and their intelligence as well as being very disrespectful. Do any of them that have their right minds there enjoy this? If so, then maybe I am wrong but I know it it were me, I'd be insulted.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi sid yes I think they were careless and all b eca use of making a spot to h ave our pictures taken with the Easter Bunny,this w as so childish, little kids might have liked that, I did not. so they left the table badly put together and so with one hard shoce it just collapsed.good that there were not people seated there as the glass top b roke in six pieces.No it was not Perla's fault at all.
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Apr 12
Well,I for sure think its the peoples fault who moved the tables to begin with.One,like you said the mleg wasnt firmly in its place BUT not only that,they have workers that are disabled people using walkers and wheel chairs so it is THEIR fault again making every place accesible,you cant just put easy accesible spots for them on one side of the room,segragating them like that is disscrimination is it not??....
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi MikesWifey yes they did not think about the people who had to get to the next table, and they sure did not check that all the legs were firmly locked. this left the table in a dangerrous situation as anyone might have pushed if and if there were people and food already on the table it could have been a whole lot worse.
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
10 Apr 12
Awww so sad to hear about the mess..but i think it was an unfortunate accident..I have a broken ankle and am using a walker to learn to walk again so i know i crash into things too.. Remember me??..hugs hun..
1 person likes this
@jujunme (2501)
• United States
9 Apr 12
Hi Friend:This is a hard one, but, IMO,the staff should have made sure the table leg was properly adjusted before being used for any purpose. Although i would also say Perla should not have pushed her walker so hard, since even if the table was secure i'm sure it would have caused things to spill over anyway.So all and all i would say it's really the fault of both Perla and the staff, but, an accident on her part.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi jujunne.Yes she has a quick temper like mine, but shes younger and has not mellowed as I have. Not reallyh knowing if it was safe she should have left moving the table to a caretaker. but she thought I guess that it would just slide. Oh it did for a fewinches then all caved in.It really was an accident on her part. but the staff were careless in not making su re the table was safe.
• China
10 Apr 12
In my opinion,The person on the staff who moved a table was to blame for the accident.In the first place,He know well that some people there move with the help of walkers and wheelchairs,however he left no room for them;in the second place,he got one leg out of position which was a hidden danger.It would happened sooner or later.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi chang that was my feeling that one or two legs were not s ecurely in place so it was bound to happen. thank Goodness it didnot happen when people were seated around it with plates of steaming hot food and cups of hot coffee. At least no one was hurt and I imagine they will sooner or later replace that glass top thingy. It was not Perlas fault althugh it might have been better if she had asked someone to nmove the table. but yes it was an accident waiting to happen.
• China
11 Apr 12
Plate glass top that was crashed was trifle matter.The most important thing is that nobody was hurt.The long dagger sized piece was a near thing ,which missed your ankle only ten inches.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
10 Apr 12
Hatley aunty: In a few places we have certain specimens-- they are continued to be kept for sentiment sake or the person likes it. I also have an old chair which we do not use kept in a corner of our small house. On exigencies like this if they get broken then we may decide throwing them out. have an excellent day.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Apr 12
hi ravi Yes we do that also. I really hurt when we had to sell a lot of our furniture when we nmoved out of a house into an a pt. byt I have my childhood desk which is so much better made than modern o nws. it is really heavy and I have my keyboard and monitor on it.along with loud speakers and my landline phone. lol I got that as a christmas gift from my parents when I was thirteen so you can see how old it is. lol old like me. from Aunty Hatley to you.lol
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
10 Apr 12
Hatley aunty is old physically but mentally very young !!!! right. !It is nice you are keeping the gifts you receive 70+ years back. great. --they are important because they were given to you by your parents. True those years --those days -- those ages you will be having excellent memories--unfortunately we cannot physically go back to those times. If only you are given that option -- which age will you choose aunty to go back? -- I think it must be the days you were in school/college.
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
10 Apr 12
the "oh so clever" person who moved it probably also caused the leg to disengage and since there wasn't room for someone to get by with a walker or a wheelchair, in an assisted living place no less, its their fault... finding someone who confesses doing it is something else...
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
9 Apr 12
First of all, congrats on your HUGE number Hatley! No way that Perla could be held responsable. The carers should have made absolutely certain that all was well after they moved. They should think themselves lucky that no-one was injured in that mess too or I'm sure there would have been reason for someone to file for damages, right?
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Apr 12
hi diana boy was that a shock and one long dagger like piece of heavy glass was only inches from my ankle. Had that gone in to my ankle I would not have been a happy camper. Another ambulance trip for me oh no.so far I have paid off one hundred fifty and another fifty dollars on ambulance copay so thank goodness I did not get injured. That glass really broke and I was amazed as the stuff was really heavy too. I don't know if I would have filed for damages. when I fell on the tile floor where someone had spilled coffee I was asked later if I had put in a claim. that thought never ever entered my ming. It was simply an accident. but thank goodness no one was hurt. The activities director was going off at Perla b ut Perlas never responded.She just looked angry.I have a hunch Yara the activities director and someone else were the guilty parties who moved the table in the first place.
@jerzgirl (9208)
• United States
11 Apr 12
Anyone who works in a home for the elderly and/or disabled knows that they must allow room for the medical devices needed for them to get around. While Perla maybe should not react so quickly, neither should the table have been there. And, the fact that the leg was not fully locked, the fault is on the people who should not have placed it there.
@jdyrj777 (6530)
• United States
16 Apr 12
Im in agreemnet with you. Its the staffs fault for not locking the leg. They should also have made room for walkers and wheelchairs.
@bunnybon7 (50975)
• Holiday, Florida
10 Apr 12
omg, not only was she not to blame but she could have gotten hurt falling over it or bruised trying to get by it. why didnt they consider that? poor girl. that place just seems worse and worse. sorry, but it does. wish you could get an apartment soon of your own. i will be praying.
9 Apr 12
Hi Hatley, oh! poor Perta, it was not her fault, she could have got hurt, the staff should have made sure that the table was secured and not in the way of anyone with walkers, its bad management, its yhe fault of the staff. Tamara
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Apr 12
yes it really was . what was funny whoever movedd it had the silverware put onthe end that abutted my table.well anyway somone was was v ery careless and at least one maybe two legs were not locked in place. these tables are a lot lighter than the ones we had in the library and I have helped move them and we made sure the legs were locked.The heavy plate glass top brokein six pieces which surprised me as the thing is really heavy. I had helped one of the staff once to lift it to put name tags down at the settings.It was really hard to lift.Yes Tamara it was just ' bad management