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Missouri Groups target Falls in Elderly
through Falls Prevention Awareness Day
Gov. Matt Blunt has declared September 22 to be Falls
Prevention Awareness Day in Missouri, and a
number of Missouri groups are working
together to target this significant public
health problem.
According to Jane Drummond, director of the Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services,
falls among older adults are a leading cause
of doctor visits, hospital admissions,
premature nursing home admissions, emergency
room visits and deaths.
Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among people
over the age of 65, and the rate of
fall-related deaths has risen significantly
over the past decade.
“Falls can take a terrible toll on the health and wellbeing
of older people,” said Drummond.
“Fortunately, there are many ways
individuals and families can prevent falls
and avoid the often debilitating effects
that result,” she added.
“We need to do more to educate the public about the serious
problem of falls in older people, and how
family, friends, caregivers and the elderly
themselves can prevent falls,” Drummond
said.
Drummond said Falls Prevention Awareness Day is a start to
educating people on the problem.
Locally, several organizations including the Missouri
Alliance for Home Care, Missouri Physical
Therapy Association, Missouri Pharmacy
Association, Missouri State Medical
Association, Missouri Center for Patient
Safety, AARP-Missouri Chapter and the
Missouri Department of Health and Senior
Services are sponsoring an informational
health fair on September 22 from 8:00 a.m.
until noon at the Capitol Mall in Jefferson
City. Other events may be planned
around the state.
“We appreciate Governor Matt Blunt’s willingness to issue
the proclamation to bring attention to this
important topic,” said
Cyndee Howell of the Missouri
Alliance for Home Care.
“All of our organizations are profoundly aware of the risks
of falling to our clients and are committed
to educating employees and the public on how
they can work to prevent falls among the
elderly,” she added.
Falls are not an inevitable part of aging, but are largely
a preventable community health problem,
according to Drummond. Drummond said people
should increase their ability to remain
independent by decreasing their risk of
falling in the following ways:
Participating in a fall risk assessment. Consult your
physician or a physical therapist for advice
on such an assessment.
Managing your health, including chronic and acute
conditions and medications. Ask your
physician or pharmacist to review your
medications with you on a regular basis for
adverse interactions or any medications that
can be reduced or eliminated.
Assuring your home and community environments are free of
environmental hazards. You may find a
home safety checklist is useful. A resource
for a home safety checklist is noted below.
Participating in an appropriate physical activity routine
to increase strength, balance and gait.
Request a referral for physical therapy, or
with your physician’s approval, participate
in a home exercise program or a physical
activity program at your local senior or
community center.
Assuring optimal vision, including adequate and uniform
lighting in the home and regular eye exams
with recommended corrections. Consider light
bulbs throughout your house with sufficient
wattage to allow you to see clearly in each
room including stairwells, hallways and
bathrooms. Schedule eye examinations
regularly.
In customizing your personal plan to decrease your or your
loved one’s risk of falling, you may find
these resources of use:
“Stay Active & Independent
for Life: An Information Guide for
Adults 65+”
http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/emstrauma/injury/pubs/SAILguide.pdf
“What You Can Do to Prevent
Falls” – available in English, Spanish and
Chinese
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/preventadultfalls.htm
“Check for Safety: A
Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older
Adults” – available in English, Spanish and
Chinese
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/preventadultfalls.htm
“Taking Steps to Prevent
Falling Head Over Heels” and “The AARP Home
Fit Guide”
http://www.aarp.org/family/housing/
“My Drug and Supplement
Diary”
http://www.healthyagingprograms.org
A list of medications which
may be useful to review with your physician
or your pharmacist is available at:
http://www.txhca.org/BestPractices/MedMgmt/medBeer1.pdf
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