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“Senior Safety BrainMinders”
BrainMinders for Seniors (2017)
Title: “Senior Safety BrainMinders” Type: Independent
Audience: Senior Groups
Purpose: Safety Tips in the Home
Puppets: Wise Old Owl, Toolip Pig, Fiona Fox, Captain Kitty, Puppeteer,
Martin Monkey, Gerald Giraffe, Penny Panda, Hero Horse, Brave Bob
Beagle, Danny Deep
Materials: Script, Handout: “Home Safety Checklist”
Pilots: Hello, our names are
____________________________________. We are Pilots, but not the
kind that fly airplanes. Pilot is an international service organization that
focuses on brain safety and fitness. We represent the Pilot Club of
______________________. We feel home safety is a way of ensuring
that our brains are not injured. We brought some friends to help show
some ways of protecting ourselves in the home.
Would you please greet Wise Old Owl? (Owl waves to the audience)
Wise Old Owl: Here are my friends Toolip Pig, Fiona Fox, and Captain
Kitty, whooooo know some things that are dangerous in the home.
Toolip Pig, tell us where you live.
Toolip Pig: I live on Mr. Peabody’s farm. I have a nice pen-full of
SLIPPERY mud. SNORT, SNORT….don’t worry, I’m very careful on
SLIPPERY mud and I took a shower before I came today.
Wise Old Owl: (Owl turns to the audience and says) We’re glad you
took a shower Toolip Pig. You smell g0000d. Fiona Fox where do you
hale from?
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Fiona Fox: (In a very southern accent and very loud) “Howdy! My
name is Fiona Fox and I’m from Memphis, Tennessee. I like to be called
FOXY LADY.” (Fiona Fox uses her paw to stroke herself and says…) Like
Toolip Pig, I took a shower before I came today and I used my SAFETY
SHOWER SEAT.
Wise Old Owl: Captain Kitty, are you from around here?
Captain Kitty: (Kitty hides her eyes behind her paws and turns to the
Puppeteer and whispers in the Puppeteer’s ear)
Puppeteer: (puppeteer turns to audience and says). Captain Kitty is shy.
(The Puppeteer turns to Kitty and says…) Go ahead and wave to the
audience. (Captain Kitty peeks out and after a moment Captain Kitty
shyly waves one paw to the audience and then comes out and waves
with both paws.)
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Scene 1
Toolip Pig: Hey, Fiona I noticed your leg is injured. What happened?
Fiona Fox: (puppeteer holds up Fiona’s bandaged leg). I tripped on a
throw rug in my hallway.
Toolip Pig: I told you that throw rug would give you problems. Rugs can
be soooo SLIPPERY.
Fiona Fox: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I hear you. I just like the looks of it. I
found it on sale and it matches my décor so well.
Toolip Pig: You could have broken your hip or conked your head. Then
you would have a more major Injury.
Fiona Fox: You’re right. It could have been more serious. I could have
ended up in a nursing home or in rehab. That would have really
cramped my style.
Toolip Pig: I heard that Wise Old Owl spent 3 months in rehab because
he fell and fractured his wing. Golly, Wise Old Owl, did your wing heal
ok?
Wise Old Owl: Yeah, it is doing ok, but now I have a pain when it’s
going to rain. It is a bother, but it is a great weather indicator.
Captain Kitty: One day I was at a friend’s house and I got my walker
tangled in her throw rug. I almost took a nose dive. It really scared me.
Fiona Fox: Ok! OK! I’ll be more careful. I’ll get rid of the throw rugs,
even if they are pretty.
Wise Old Owl: This is the end of scene 1. Say goodbye to our friends.
(Toolip Pig, Fiona Fox and Captain Kitty wave goodbye.)
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Scene 2
Wise Old Owl: We will now hear from Gerald Giraffe and Martin
Monkey. They have some ideas on how to take precautions in the
bathroom.
Puppeteer: Hello Gerald, tell us a little about yourself.
Gerald Giraffe: I live in the zoo and like it very much. I get lots of good
things to eat and lots of people come to visit me every day.
Puppeteer: I think I’ve seen you there. Come over here and get a better
look at us.
Gerald Giraffe: (Gerald nods up and down) YOU are funny looking
CREATURES with short necks and legs.
Martin Monkey: HI! I’m Martin Monkey, I’m from South America, but
I live in a monkey sanctuary now. I have lots of friends. We spend most
of the day just hanging around.
Gerald Giraffe: Martin, do you have the name and phone number of
the company that put the safety grab bars in your bathroom?
Martin Monkey: Sure, I have it right here. They did a great job. Now I
have Safety grab bars to hang onto as I step in and out of the tub. It‘s a
lot easier and it REALLY helps. You know they also put safety grab bars
next to my toilet.
Gerald Giraffe: I’ll have them do that too. Thanks for reminding me.
One SAFETY feature I do have is a higher toilet seat. After I had my hip
replaced, I needed it.
Martin Monkey: I didn’t think of that. A higher seat is a good idea.
Gerald Giraffe: We also need to remember to take time when we
stand up, so that we have our balance. We don't want to end up with a
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broken hip, like I had last year. These are our Golden Years. Let’s make
sure we make them SAFE YEARS!
Martin Monkey: You got that right.
Wise Old Owl: This ends scene 2. See you later, Gerald and Martin
(Gerald and Martin wave goodbye).
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Scene 3
Wise Old Owl: I see a few more friends have joined us. Here are Penny
Panda, Hero Horse, and Bob Beagle. HI everyone! (All wave Hi.)
Puppeteer: Penny, where do you live?
Penny Panda: (Penny opens her mouth wide and slowly turns to the
puppeteer in surprise and asks the puppeteer). Are you having a senior
moment?
Puppeteer: (puppeteer turns to Penny Panda and says) No, just tell the
audience where you live.
Penny Panda: (Penny Panda turns to the puppeteer and asks again in a
louder voice) Are you SURE you’re not having a Senior Moment!
Puppeteer: Yes, I’m sure I’m not having a senior moment, I just had a
MEMORY TEST and I’m doing great.
Penny Panda: (Pauses and then turns to the puppeteer and says) OK,
you asked for it. (Penny Panda turns to the audience and SLOWLY says
in a LOUD voice) I live in a PLASTIC BAG in HER dark garage. (Pause for
laughter)
Hero Horse: (Hero Horse jumps up and down impatiently and says) I ‘m
a friend of Toolip Pig and I live on Mr. Peabody’s farm. I roam the
meadow and feed on clover. I get regular checkups by the doctor to
make sure I’m Healthy.
Bob Beagle: Hi everybody! I live with a family with lots of kids, and my
family takes me to the doctor for my annual shots to make sure I stay
Healthy. I LOVE MY FAMILY. (Turns to audience) Have you had your flu
and pneumonia shots yet?
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Penny Panda: (Penny panda turns to Hero Horse and says in a
concerned voice) Hero, how have you been doing? I hear you are
having some difficulties since you turned 80.
Hero Horse: (Hero Horse shakes his head and says). I’ve had some
health issues, but I’m managing. Cooking is the hardest part. I keep
burning things. Once, I put water on to boil and forgot it. What a mess!
It was so bad I had to throw the pot away.
Penny Panda: OH MY! You really need to be careful. You don’t want to
start a fire.
Hero Horse: I know, but I need to eat and I get tired of eating out all the
time.
Penny Panda: When I put something on the stove, I always set a timer.
That way something buzzes and reminds me to check on the stove.
Hero Horse: What a great idea! Also, remember to drink plenty of
water.
Bob Beagle: I buy those microwave meals called Smart Ones or Lean
Cuisines. That way I get a healthy meal without having to turn on the
stove. You just put them in the microwave for a few minutes and
VOILA!... a healthy meal and it‘s SAFE!
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Scene 4
Wise Old Owl: Here is my friend Danny DEEP.
Puppeteer: (Not the one holding the fish) Hi Danny where do you live?
Danny Deep: Here we go again! ARE YOU HAVING A SENIOR
MOMENT?
Puppeteer: NO!
Danny Deep: OK! OK! (Danny Deep says slowly) I LIVE in a FISH TANK
in your LIVING ROOM.
Puppeteer: What do you do all day?
Danny Deep: (Danny starts to go around in circles, and puppeteer starts
to go around with Danny. Danny Deep says…). I swim around and
around and around and around all day long. (Puppeteer grabs Danny
to stop him). Danny says “OOOOOOhhh, I feel dizzy.”
Puppeteer: Danny, behave yourself and tell us what else you do all
day?
Danny Deep: (Danny turns to puppeteer and says) REALLY? (Pauses)
I watch YOU watching ME! (pause for laughter)
Danny Deep: Be careful, Wise Old Owl, the floor is wet. I splashed
water all over the floor while I was swimming around and around
(puppeteer grabs Danny Deep again to stop him from going around).
Wise Old Owl: I’m glad you warned me. I didn’t notice the water.
Danny Deep: It should have been mopped up right away. (Danny Deep
turns and looks at the Puppeteer and says…) SOMEONE was being lazy.
(Puppeteer shrugs shoulders)
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Wise Old Owl: I saw Captain Kitty slip once on some liquid that was on
the floor. It wasn’t funny, but I gave her a 9.6 for style. She could have
been an Olympic skater.
Danny Deep: (Danny Deep turns to Wise Old Owl and asks…) Wise Old
Owl, aren’t household falls and burns the leading causes for senior
injuries?
Wise Old Owl: YES, (pause) I read that falls cause more seniors to go to
nursing homes than any other kind of injury. Anything we can do to
keep from falling is very important. Some easy PRECAUTIONS in the
home can make it SAFER and more senior FRIENDLY. (Wise Old Owl
turns to the audience and says…) So remember what my friends
said…….
1. Get rid of throw rugs.
2. Install SAFETY grab bars in the bathrooms.
3. Clean up spills as soon as they happen.
Watch the stove and hot items when cooking.
Wise Old Owl: Danny Deep do you have any more safety hints?
Danny Deep: Yes! How about these safety tips:
Install Railings to assist you when going up and up down steps.
Get regular eye exams to see clearly.
Install good lighting to prevent bumping into things and causing
injuries.
Your Pets love you and follow you around. Be on the lookout for small
animals under foot so you do not trip.
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To prevent HOT WATER burns, turn down the temperature on your Hot
Water Heater.
Have emergency phone numbers at each phone location in your home.
Have a family member or neighbor check in with you daily to make sure
you are okay.
Use your cane, if you have one.
Wise Old Owl: Thanks, Danny Deep! (Looks at audience) Well, folks,
thank you for allowing our Pilot Club puppeteers and animal friends to
entertain you and share some helpful SAFETY hints.