Imagine a senior who is suffering from early memory impairment. He gets a urinary tract infection and is a bit delirious, not answering his phone. His daughter comes by to check on him. Because his infection is making him confused, he doesn’t recognize her. He thinks she is an intruder, shooting her with the gun that he recently bought, feeling unsafe alone in his home.
Depressed person holding gun
Dr Elizabeth Clarke, a geriatrician practicing in Denver and Guns to Gardens volunteer, notes that ageing may be a time of incredible upheaval / transition and loss. Seniors may be dealing with the loss of a spouse, a child, or other close friends or family members. Many seniors must adjust to loss of independence or function due to health changes. Some sense a loss of purpose and contribution after retirement. This increases risk for impulsive suicide. White men over 75 have the highest rate of suicide deaths nation-wide.
Ownership of a hand gun increases risk of completed suicide eight-fold. Many suicide attempts are impulsive and having rapid access to a firearm increases the risk that a physical or mental health crisis will end in suicide. In Colorado, 75% of gun violence deaths are suicide. By removing unwanted firearms from homes, we can reduce the number of suicides. People might also want to dispose of firearms they that they inherited from a spouse or parent, but don’t wish to return to the marketplace.
On October 14th noon-2pm, the Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 1241 Ceres Drive in Lafayette will be holding a drive-in opportunity for anyone to anonymously and safely donate weapons. They will be disabled on-site and later turned into garden tools or jewelry. Donors will receive a King Soopers gift card. For more information: https://www.bvuuf.org/guns-to-garden-tools/ or gunstogardentools@bvuuf.org for questions.