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Monday, September 27, 2010

Fall Prevention

Each year millions of older adults fall and suffer injuries that require hospitalization or extended recovery periods. On average, every 2.3 seconds, a person over the age of 65 will fall.

In 2000, falls among older adults cost the U.S. health care system over $19 billion dollars. With the population aging, both the number of falls and the costs to treat fall injuries are likely to increase.

One in three adults age 65 and older falls each year. Of those who fall, 20% to 30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that make it hard for them to get around or live independently, and increase their risk of early death. Older adults are hospitalized for fall-related injuries five times more often than they are for injuries from other causes.

In 2008, emergency departments treated 2.1 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults; more than 559,000 of these patients had to be hospitalized.

The web site, Learn Not To Fall, is dedicated to teaching older adults and their families about fall risks and what to do if they should fall.

Other resources:

Temple University's In-Home Safety for Fall Prevention Check List

Temple University's Check It Out - Some things you can do to reduce your risk of falling.

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