Four-in-ten U.S. adults say they live in a household with a gun, including 30% who say they personally own one—that’s 133 million Americans. As a western state, Colorado has an even higher percentage of people who live with guns. And close to 40 percent of households in the United States with older adults have at least one firearm on the premises.
Handling a gun safely requires good vision, eye-hand coordination, motor skills, strength and balance. Age or medical conditions can affect any of those, says Emmy Betz, M.D., MPH, the founding director of Firearms Injury Prevention Initiative and a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If the medical condition involves memory loss, the dangers increase.
Betz’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative surveyed caregivers of people with memory loss who had firearms in their homes. They asked if the person had any plans of what to do with their guns when it became unsafe for them to use them. Almost half of them did not.
Being a responsible firearm owner means making tough calls when mental or physical skills decline. It means reassessing your risk, understanding your needs, and being prepared. Betz helped develop The Firearm Life Plan, available at firearmlifeplan.org, which helps people think about important questions related to their firearms and to protect their families from the burden of making difficult decisions without guidance.
It features downloadable worksheets and resources, including an inventory worksheet outlining what the gun owner wants done with their firearms, where they are stored and access codes. The legacy map lets them share the importance of firearms in their life and preserve their memories. Another worksheet deals with broaching the conversation with a loved one who might need to give up their guns and how to assess when that time has come.
Look over the information at firearmlifeplan.org and share it with someone you know who might use it!
