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 floors^4,5
• 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:
    • Mondays at at Splash Zone in Oberlin
    • Thursdays at at Mercy Recreation Center in Amherst

More information

• Steady U falls prevention program from Department of Aging
• Home safety check to prevent falls
• Falls prevention toolkit for healthcare providers

Sources:

1. 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.
2. 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
3. Lorain County Public Health. EpiCenter, health surveillance tool. Accessed October 16, 2018.
4. Ohio Department of Aging. Steady U Ohio. Accessed November 26, 2018.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important Facts About Falls. Accessed November 26, 2018.