Wally Pearce Winters Elder Day Council Monday, Sept. 23 is National Falls Prevention Awareness Day, sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA). It’s estimated that one in five older adults fall each year and are the number one cause of injury, hospital visits due to trauma, and death from an injury among people age 65-years of age and older. Still, research has shown that many fall risks can easily be reduced and even prevented. Yet, while falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for older adults 65 years of age and older, they are not a predictable part of aging. There are many different factors that can increase the risk of falling. These include but are not limited to:
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- Talking with a health professional — to identify and treat medical problems that could lead to falls.
- Regular Physical Activity — plan to have regular physical activity.
- Being Aware of Safety Hazards in the Home and — evaluating your resident to identify fall hazards and making proper changes for safety.
