Falls are a serious problem

I've known for a while that falls are a big problem, especially for the elderly. Some elderly relatives and acquaintances of mine sustained falls that started them down a path of medical trouble and --in some cases-- death. A new report, The Burden of Falls in Wisconsin sheds some light on the role of falls in that state. Some key findings:

• Fall are the leading cause of injury-related death in Wisconsin; higher than car crashes and suicides
• 87 percent of fall-related deaths occur among those 65 and older
• 55 percent of falls the cause death occur at home
• 40 percent of those admitted to a nursing home had a fall within the month prior to admission

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has good information about how to prevent falls. I'm hoping to speak to one of their spokesmen soon.