It's Fall, but Don't Fall!

As summer winds down, we look forward to a (hopefully) cooler time of year known as fall. Being a person who focus’s on injury prevention, when I hear the word “fall”, the first thought that comes to my mind isn’t seasonal. Here at Texas Health Fort Worth, the number one mechanism of injury for trauma admissions is falls in the elderly. And we aren’t alone on that statistic. Falls are the highest reason for emergency department visits across the United States. In fact, one in three adults age 65 and older falls each year. And if they do fall, they are twice as likely to fall again. Falls should not be a right of passage as we age. This problem has become so large that the State of Texas has declared September 21-25 as Fall Prevention Week. Coincidentally, this is also the first week of the new season!
With the national focus on health care and all its complex issues, prevention is certainly an obvious choice that each of us can make. For those of us that are not in the above mentioned age group, there are still opportunities to have a positive outcome and prevent falls. Talking with your family members and friends about adequate lighting in the house, securing throw rugs, installing grab bars in the bathroom are just a few things that can make a difference. In fact, just talking about fall prevention raises awareness. I know I talk with my parents frequently about ways not to accidentally “encounter the ground”. They are independent within their community. I want them to stay that way. I am sure each of us knows special folks like my parents that bring joy onto our lives. We want them to experience the best quality of life and to share in ours. Remind them to watch their steps, be physically active and review medications with their doctor annually. I know this sounds simple, but so did the warnings they gave us about “looking both ways”. Until next time, have a glorious “incident free” fall.

- Mary Ann Contreras