About every two minutes in Ontario, at least one older adult over the age of 65 visits an emergency department due to a fall. In fact, falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults.[1] In 2010, it was estimated that falls cost Canadians $8.7 billion making it costlier than any other injury.[2] In 2017 in our community, fall-related injuries account for 33% of all injury-related emergency visits. The rate of hospitalization in Windsor Essex County was greater than the combined rate for the next five leading causes of injuries. Those hospitalized in Windsor-Essex from 2004-2013 for a fall-related injury will spend an average of 13.0 days in the hospital. In Windsor-Essex County, 20% of all injury-related mortalities are due to a fall.[3]
References
[1] Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network Regional Fall Prevention Current State Discussion Paper, November 2018
[2] https://parachute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Cost_of_Injury-2015.pdf
Falls are a leading cause of serious injury and death among seniors (those over 65 years of age). The good news is there are a number of local resources and services in our community that can help seniors stay independent.
Falls are a leading cause of serious injury and death among seniors (those over 65 years of age).
This 'Staying Independent' resource was created by the Southwest Ontario Fall Prevention Network. SWOPN encourages you to complete the checklist and take it with you when you talk to your healthcare provider.
November is Fall Prevention Month. It is a public awareness campaign, with the theme “It takes a community to prevent a fall: We all have a role to play.” When someone has a fall, it affects that individual, their family, the community, and the health care system.
The Windsor-Essex County Fall Prevention Committee has the vision/goal to reduce the risk and impact of falls among older adults within the City of Windsor and Essex County.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and death among seniors. Most falls however are avoidable with appropriate education, awareness, screening, assessment, intervention, and prevention. The Windsor Essex Community Health Centre Falls Prevention Screening Clinic is a group of health care providers from the community who work with seniors to help maintain their independence and reduce their risk of having a fall. To learn more, visit the Windsor Essex Community Health Centre’s Falls Prevention Program.
Evidence shows that healthy aging can help prevent and slow the progression of chronic disease and disability further decreasing the strain on the healthcare system and improving the personal health of our aging population
A fall can happen to anyone, at any age anywhere; however, there are factors that increase the risk of having a fall that can be addressed.
Take the pledge against distracted driving today!