DR. WALLACE: My grandmother tripped on a rug in her house and broke her hip. It was ironic because I had been working on a research paper for my summer school English class and it was about home safety. I finished my paper and received an A on it. Our teacher said I did a great job and suggested that it would be good to share the information with others. She said it would be a waste not to let as many people as possible know the facts on the dangers that can lurk in the average home.

The National Safety Council reports that more than 25,000 people died from unintentional fall injuries in 2013. To help prevent falls, never have throw rugs at the top or bottom of stairs; use a stepladder to reach high shelves; and put nonskid mats or decals on the bottom of your bathtub or shower. And always put night lights in bedrooms, halls and bathrooms.

Burns and fires are another of the most common causes of fatal accidents at home, killing more than 3,000 people. To help prevent fires, equip your home with smoke detectors and a kitchen fire extinguisher. Practice a fire escape route and teach family members to "stop, drop and roll" if their clothes catch on fire. And those who smoke should never, never, never smoke in bed! — Madison, Chicago, Ill.

MADISON: Thank you for your useful information. I immediately checked our smoke detectors to see that they were functioning properly — and they were! Our family is sleeping better knowing that the smoke detectors are in good order.

MOM MADE A SERIOUS PARENTAL ERROR

DR. WALLACE: I am a very responsible 13-year-old girl. I'm on the honor roll at school and do all of my household chores. My close friends all get to spend time on Saturdays at the mall. I'm usually not allowed to go but last week my mom promised she'd let me go for two hours. She said she'd drive me there and pick me up. It was part of my birthday present.

So last Saturday morning I was all excited that I was going to the mall and my four friends and I could shop and have lunch there. But just when it was time for my mother to take me, one of her friends called and they talked for over an hour. When she hung up, she said she didn't have time to drive me to the mall because she had to go over to this friend's house. When I said, "You promised to drive me to the mall," she said that a mother had the right to break a promise. I don't think that's right. Do you? — Lindsey, Ames, Iowa.

LINDSEY: Promises should be honored by everyone, including parents, unless an unforeseen occurrence makes them impossible to keep. If your mother had to break her promise because of a genuine emergency, she owed you an explanation — and perhaps a new promise to take you the following week.

It appears to me that seeing her friend did not qualify as an emergency. Not honoring her promise to you was a very serious parental error.

YOU SHOULD TAKE ALL THREATS SERIOUSLY

DR. WALLACE: I've got a friend (not close) who, at times, says that she wishes she were dead and says that she might commit suicide. I'd like to help her, but I'm afraid if I talk to her about suicide it might encourage her to take her life. What should I do? — Nameless, El Paso, Tex.

NAMELESS: Research shows that discussing suicide will not provoke someone to commit suicide. You should take all threats seriously and seek help from the school counselor, nurse, clergy, social worker or psychologist. If helped in time, potentially suicidal people can lose that horrific thought of self-destruction.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.