Seniors with guns, a lethal mix

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.

Dr. Elizabeth Clarke, a geriatrician practicing in Denver and Guns to Gardens volunteer, notes

that aging 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 that they inherited from a spouse or parent, but don’t wish to return to the

marketplace.

On October 14, from 12 noon-2 p.m., 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 [email protected] for questions.

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