AARP Texas salutes Texas Falls Prevention Awareness Week

24. Sep, 2010 0 Comments

One in three adults over age 65 falls each year

It’s Texas Falls Prevention Awareness Week, and AARP Texas would like to
take this opportunity to speak out on this important issue to help create a
society where people 50+ age with dignity.

Each year one in three Americans 65 and older falls. That’s more than 12
million people including around 800,000 Texans. In fact, falls are the
leading cause of fractures in older adults, who are hospitalized for fall
related injuries five times more often than for other injuries. Each day,
about 50 Americans die from injuries sustained during accidental falls,
which are the leading cause of death by accidental injury for people over
65.

For survivors, falls can be a reoccuring problem. The average nursing home
resident, for instance, falls more than twice a year. These patients are
particularly susceptible to falls due to health conditions and a quarter of
these falls may be caused by issues with the facilities like poor lighting
and wet floors.

Falls among older Texans is also a costly issue for our state and its
residents. It’s not uncommon for a fall to cost $20,000 or more after
hospital, nursing home, emergency room, home health care and doctors’ bills.
It’s estimated that by 2020 the annual cost of fall injuries among Americans
will be around $55 billion.

Fortunately, simple steps can reduce the risk of falling. Half of all falls
are caused by poor home design, but a few inexpensive changes can improve
the safety of many homes. Removing scatter rugs, using brighter lights and
installing bathrooms grab bars can all help reduce the risk of falling.

Health conditions can also contribute to falls. Caution should be taken
while on medications that cause dizziness. Regular vision checkups and
staying active are also important.

For more tips, AARP offers an informative brochure, Taking Steps to Prevent
Falling Head Over Heels, which is available electronically for news media.
AARP Texas has also developed guest columns on home safety and falls
prevention that are suitable for reprinting with credit. To obtain any of
these resources, please contact kloop@aarp.org.

# # #

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps people 50+ have
independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable
to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public
office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We
produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the
world’s largest-circulation magazine with over 35.1 million readers; AARP
Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s millions of members and Americans
50+; AARP VIVA su Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication
dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website,
AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security,
protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from
thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.

CONTACT
Kim Loop: 512-480-2427; kloop@aarp.org