Four things to know about falling this Falls Prevention Month

Sep 11

September is Falls Prevention Month. The National Council on Aging (NCOA), with a healthy dose of punny-ness, declares September 22, 2017 - the first day of fall - National Falls Prevention Awareness Day.

All puns aside, falling is a serious subject that impacts older adults. NCOA shares some great information about the risk of falling and how to prevent it. Here are four things to know about falling.

Falling is common.

One in four older adults falls each year. Falling results in 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency annually. And over half of falls happen at home.

Falling puts your health at risk.
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults and account for 70% of deaths among people 75 years and older, according to West Illinois Home Health Care.

Falling can hinder your independence.
According to the American Family Physician, hospital stays for seniors are two times as long than those hospitalized for other illnesses or injuries. Older adults who fall have a greater functional decline in activities of daily living and in physical and social activities in than those who do not fall.

Here's the good news. Falling can be prevented.

As our seniors at Good Life Senior Residences are finding through their Matter of Balance class, falling is not inevitable. Through education, exercise, and modifying the environment, falls can be prevented.