Ezra Home Care: Fall Prevention Awareness Day

National Falls Prevention Awareness Day is observed the first day of fall to promote and increase public awareness about how to prevent and reduce falls among older adults. 

Falls are the leading cause of death among people 65 years or older. In this blog post we offer tips and resources on Fall Prevention.

Fall Prevention Tips:

Experts recommend a physical activity regimen with balance, strength training and flexibility components. Also, consulting with a health professional about getting a fall risk assessment, reviewing medications periodically, getting eyes checked annually, and making sure the home environment is safe and supportive are some of the preventative steps to make sure your loved ones are safe at home. If you notice that your love one is having trouble with balance, it is a good idea to hire an eldercare provider who can assess all the needs and help to prevent falls from happening.   

• In 2008, about 2.1 million nonfatal fall injuries in people 65 years and older were treated in emergency departments and over 550,000 of these patients were subsequently hospitalized. 
• The total cost of fall injuries for older Americans was $19 billion in 2000. By 2020, the annual direct and indirect cost of fall injuries is expected to reach $54.9 billion.

This year’s Boston's Fall Prevention Awareness Day will be taking place from 10:00am to 12:00pm on September 22 in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House. The event will feature speeches by State Senator Richard Moore and Executive Office of Elder Affairs Secretary Ann Hartstein.

Clinicians, community activists, state officials and honored guests will gather to raise awareness that falls are both common and costly. Efforts are in place in our state to introduce falls prevention activities across the health care continuum and into the daily lives of older adults. Join the Massachusetts Falls Prevention Coalition and hear from experts to help prevent falls across all settings.

Attendance is free and there is no registration for the event. Simply RSVP to James Fuccione at HCA (jfuccione@thinkhomecare.org) or Alissa Weintraub at Mass Senior Care (aweintraub@maseniorcare.org).

Check out The Center Council for Aging to find more information on the programs occurring in each of the 43 states observing Fall Prevention Awareness Day.

Please not that Ezra Home Care offers free home safety assessments to all of our potential clients.  During the visit, an Ezra Home Care trained staff member will analyze each room in the home, identify safety concerns and provide remedies that can make the home safe, such as: repositioning furniture, resolving clutter and other tripping hazards, marking stairways, securing handrails, offering suggestions to improve lighting, securing loose carpets and rugs, labeling stove and appliance controls with raised tactual marking, and checking or installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Ezra Home Care published a blog article on Fall Prevention in 2010.