Fall Prevention Awareness Week: Scott & White Healthcare offers advice to help prevent falls

ROUND ROCK, Texas — September 21-26th is Fall Prevention Awareness Week. One out of three senior citizens will fall this year requiring medical attention, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Falls are also a major contributing factor to 40% of all nursing home admissions and cost our nation $19 billion dollars annually. The emotional, psychological and catastrophic events that are imposed on families and caregivers are equally burdensome.

“About 50 percent of senior citizens who fall will likely fall again and falls are a common cause of hospitalization in the state of Texas,” says Stephen Hightower, M.D., F.A.C.P., Internist and Geriatrician at Scott & White Clinic – Sun City.

Because of these startling statistics, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed House Bill 703 into law, creating Fall Prevention Awareness Week, which recommends programs and policies be developed to promote reduction of falls and create an increase in fall prevention awareness.

Scott & White’s Dr. Hightower says seniors can reduce or eliminate their risk of falling by taking these steps:

• Examine diet and medications. Warm foods and alcohol dilate blood vessels, which can lead to dizziness when standing. Sleep aids, antidepressants and pain medications can also increase the likelihood of a fall.

• Get a vision exam. Poor vision, cataracts and glaucoma increase the chances of falling.
• Check foot gear. Shoes should fit snugly and have a sturdy, nonskid sole and a broad, low heel.
• Be aware of personal balance and stability, and take steps to improve them. Consider installing handrails along stairs or in the bathroom. When shopping, use a shopping cart for support. When getting out of a chair, push off with the chair’s arm rests. In the kitchen and bathroom, do not place frequently needed items on high shelves.
• Participate in a physician-approved exercise program to build and maintain muscle strength and improve balance and coordination. Programs that use light weights or stretch bands are excellent for muscle strengthening. Water aerobics programs and low-impact Tai Chi programs have also been shown to improve balance and coordination.
• Increase vitamin D intake. Vitamin D improves muscle strength and increases the amount of calcium the body is able to absorb and deposit in bones. "Thus, it strengthens muscle and bone, reducing risk of fall and fracture," says Hightower.
• And finally, stresses Hightower, "Prepare for the unexpected. Consider a life-line button so that you can activate emergency assistance without the telephone."

Fall Prevention Awareness carries out the message of Keeping Texans Standing Tall to generate awareness of the importance of preventing falls among older adults by engaging in health promotion and disease prevention activities. Each day of Fall Prevention Week will focus on proven methods to reduce falls, which includes: Physical Activity, Home Safety, Medication Management and review, and family awareness.

Data in this press release was taken from The Texas Falls Prevention Coalition. For more information, visit www.t4aging.org.

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