The state launched a program Monday to try to prevent falls among the elderly as an effort to improve their independence and quality of life, to make businesses more accessible while lowering liability issues and to help keep down health costs.
Gov. John Kasich and Department of Aging Director Bonnie K. Burman unveiled the program at a senior activity center in Columbus where they highlighted the need for people to exercise and remain active to cut down on the risk of falls. And if someone does fall, it is important they report the mishap to their doctor.
“There’s no embarrassment for anybody to try to deal with their health issues,” Kasich said. “Take control of your own health because taking control of your own health means taking control of your own destiny.”
Falls among seniors are a serious issue.
“It has reached epidemic proportions in our state,” Burman said. “Falls are the leading cause of injury-related ER visits, hospital stays and deaths for people over 65.
“In Ohio an elder falls every two minutes, resulting in an emergency room visit every eight minutes,” she said. “We have two falls-related hospitalizations in our state every hour, and three fatal falls every day.”
The new program, Steady U Ohio, will provide online information for preventing falls and conducting health assessments that individuals, family members and doctors can use. The program also will expand balance and mobility exercise programs to all 88 counties.
“That U, as you can see, is the letter U,” Burman said. “It’s the U because it’s like we all in our state are going to be at a university, we’re all going to be learning how to prevent falls.”
Falls are not a natural part of the aging process and may be a signal that other health issue are present, Burman said. Yet seniors who fall often do not talk about it. A goal of the program is to promote that discussion.
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