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Set your own course to thrive after 55
COMMUNICATOR Vol. 24, No. 3
May/June 2016
5 Steps to Prevent a Fall
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Talk to your doctor. Your health care provider can assess your risk of falling and review medications to check potential side effects and interactions.
Do strength & balance exercises. Regular physical activity can help improve your balance, coordination. strength, and flexibility.
Get vision & hearing screenings. Get annual screenings and update your eyeglasses. Your eyes and ears are key to keeping you on your feet!
Make your home safer. Get a free safety check to assess your home. Remove tripping hazards, increase lighting, make stairs safer, and install grab bars in key areas.
Talk to your family. Enlist the support of your family, friends, and neighbors in taking simple steps to stay safe. Falls are not just a “senior” issue.
To learn how SourcePoint can help, call (740) 363-6677.
An Ounce of Prevention
Investing a little time in falls prevention can mean a big reward Jeff Robinson, Editor My Communicator It’s a staggering statistic—every 20 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). And those who survive a fall could be faced with a myriad of health issues, ranging from fractured hips to brain injuries. But there is good news. There are proven ways for older adults to reduce falls, and a number of community programs in Delaware County that are already in place to help.
FACTS (AND MYTHS) ABOUT FALLS The numbers provided by the CDC website (www.cdc.gov) reveal that falls among older adults (age 65 and older) are more common than you might think. One in three older adults falls each year, but fewer than half of those report the fall to their doctor. And falling once Delaware General Health District uses the Biosway™ doubles your chance of falling again. Injuries to conduct free balance screenings at SourcePoint. sustained during a fall lead to hospitalization for more than 700,000 patients annually, according to the CDC, and more than 95 percent of hip fractures are caused by falling. The CDC website states that falls are also the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. The numbers get even bigger when you factor in the cost of falling. Adjusted for inflation, direct medical costs for injuries sustained in a fall are $34 billion each year. The CDC states that hospital costs account for two-thirds of that total. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20...
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