Live at home safely without falls
Falls and fall-related injuries can negatively affect a person’s quality of life and independence. Falls among older adults have become an increasingly common health problem. Falling, however, is not a normal part of aging. 4 Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospital visits in the U.S. for older adults.5
Falls affect us all—whether personally or someone we love or care about. Falls can cause broken bones, brain injury, inability to live independently, and fear of walking.1,2
In Lorain County, on average each month, 277 incidences of falls lead to an emergency department (ED) visit (7/1/17 - 9/30/18).3
3,882 falls-related ED visits in Lorain County, age 65+, (10/1/17 - 9/30/18).3
You can reduce your risk of falling in many ways - try these to start:
- Manage medications with your pharmacist
- Remove clutter from stairs and floors4,5
- Drink lots of water to keep hydrated
- Be active in all the seasons to be strong, flexible, and balanced - when a person is less active, they may become weaker and increase their chances of falling5
3 ways to keep active:
- Sign up to take a 6-week long Matter of Balance class to improve or maintain strength, balance, and coordination.
- Find a no-cost fitness event through the United We Sweat – check out the schedule.
- Walk with a group indoors – Whether at Midway Mall, a big box or at Fit Walks.
- The Fit Walks group is free and meets twice each week to walk on dry indoor tracks:

More information
Sources:
- Alexander BH, Rivara FP, Wolf ME. The cost and frequency of hospitalization for injuries in older adults. American Journal of Public Health 1992;82(7):1020–3.
- Sterling DA, O’Connor JA, Bonadies J. Geriatric falls: injury severity is high and disproportionate to mechanism. Journal of Trauma–Injury, Infection and Critical Care 2001;50(1):116–9
- Lorain County Public Health. EpiCenter, health surveillance tool. Accessed October 16, 2018.
- Ohio Department of Aging. Steady U Ohio. Accessed November 26, 2018.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important Facts About Falls. Accessed November 26, 2018.