Hawaii takes senior falls seriously
October 3, 2011
State officials in Hawaii are coming together to educate the residents on the severity of senior falls, as an average of 82 seniors living on the islands die each year from fall related injuries, Maui Now reports.
The new campaign has been set up to try and teach seniors ways to prevent falls from happening in the first place.
“On average, every five hours in Hawaii a senior suffers a fall injury so serious he or she must be hospitalized,” Director of Health, Loretta J. Fuddy told the publication. “Fall prevention is a major concern for the safety and well-being of our kupuna [elders].”
According to the publication, seniors should have their vision checked at least once-a-year to make sure their glasses or contacts have the correct prescription. It’s also suggested that reading glasses or bifocals be taken off when transcending downstairs as they can cause dimension disparities which could lead to falls.
Daily exercising through walking, swimming or taking a class can further strengthen a seniors muscles, leaving less chances for a fall.
Even those who take the necessary precautions are not completely safe from falls. Installing a medical alert system can ensure that if a person does fall, help can get to them in an instant.
