The Florida Departments of Elder Affairs and Health hosted a Falls Prevention Awareness web cast on September 22 to educate health care professionals about this preventable form of injury. The web cast highlights Florida’s recognition of National Falls Prevention Awareness Day.
Unfortunately, in recent years Florida has led the nation in the number of fatalities directly related to falls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 18 seconds an older American is admitted to the hospital because of an accidental fall.
“Falls pose one of the biggest threats to elders in Florida, and there is so much we can do to reduce the risk,” said Elder Affairs Interim Secretary Charles T. Corley. “The key to falls prevention is to understand the problem, and this web cast will help spread the word to those who work with our seniors every day.”
Elder Affairs Secretary Corley, State Surgeon General Viamonte Ros, and experts in the field of injury prevention participated in the web cast about this important issue. “The economic impact of seniors’ falls is enormous,” said State Surgeon General Ana M. Viamonte Ros, M.D., M.P.H. “Non-fatal, unintentional fall-related injury hospitalization charges exceeded $1.8 billion in 2008. Falls prevention efforts can also significantly reduce overall heath care costs.”
To help Florida’s health care professionals view the web cast, more than three dozen viewing sites were set up around the state at local sites. Early monitoring indicated hundreds of health care professionals were able to watch the web cast at these sites, while countless others watched on personal computers. The web cast was viewed by interested individuals as far away as Illinois, Connecticut and Hawaii. The full web cast is now available by DVD. If you would like a DVD, email [email protected].
Falls Prevention Awareness Day, coordinated by the National Council on Aging, is a national event to help prevent and reduce falls among seniors, including baby boomers just approaching retirement age. Governor Charlie Crist proclaimed September 22 as Florida Falls Prevention Awareness Day for the state’s more than 4.4 million older residents. For more information on falls prevention information or for copies of the web cast, call the Florida Department of Elder Affairs at 850-414-2000 or the Department of Health at 850-245-4440 extension 2700.
