While falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injury for those 65 years of age and older, they are not an inevitable part of aging. In Iowa, one out of every 27 residents 65 or older is hospitalized for a fall-related injury. The number of older adults who fall and do not seek care is even higher, with an estimated one in three older adults suffering a fall each year.
To remind seniors that falls are preventable, Linn County Public Health is hosting a Falls Prevention Awareness Day event on Wednesday, September 23rd from 3:00-6:00 pm at the Oakland Rd. Hy-Vee Conference Room in Cedar Rapids. “September 23rd is the first day of the fall season, so on that day we would like to show older adults how a combination of simple behavior changes can reduce their fall risk,” said Pramod Dwivedi, Health Director for Linn County Public Health.
The event will include several local businesses offering fall prevention services to seniors on site. The conference room is ADA accessible and the event is free.
Event includes:
• Bone density screenings and information about bone health.
• Medication pocket cards detailing your medications, when to take them, and what they are used for
• Eyeglass maintenance and eye health information.
• Hearing aid cleanings, hearing aid checks, video otoscopy, and basic cerumen management.
• A recipe demo featuring small, easy, nutrient-rich meals and nutrition advice for older adults.
• Information on diabetes care and management including foot and skin care, prevention of complications and correlation between diabetes and fall risk
• Silver Sneakers fitness demonstration.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an older adult in the U.S. is treated in the ER for a fall-related injury every 14 seconds and dies from a fall-related injury every 29 minutes. Learn about the tools you can use to prevent falls in your home environment. For more information about the event or for an event flyer, please email [email protected] or call 319-892-6074.
