News (February 2007)

Awareness of falls increasing, but more must be done

In an article from the Eureka Reporter, journalist Carol Harrison reports that the awareness of falls in the aging population is increasing but facilities have yet to gain the ability to meet the needs of an elderly population of over 22,000 people. While strength exercise and training have helped reduce the risk of falls, balance, vision impairment, and disease have been over looked as causes for falls and related injuries in the elderly. This will attribute to the 43.8 billion dollars in projected costs by government and health programs by the year 2020.

Study of outdoor falls in the older population released

A study recently released focuses on the causes and problems associated with outdoor falls. The study, released through the American Journal of Public Health, surveyed a population of 2193 middle aged to elderly men and women from different ethnic groups.

The results showed that outdoor falls were some of most frequent types for those who fell. Sidewalks, curbs, and streets were the most common causes, while white, younger, more educated men were the most likely to fall outdoors from those who were surveyed.

To view the full-text article: Click Here (registration required)

7th Annual Senior Injury Prevention Conference set for May 10th

The 7th Annual Senior Injury Prevention Conference will take place on May 10th, 2007 at the Samuel Merrit College Health Education Center in Oakland California. The focus of this year's conference will be on the role of medications in injury.

Sessions will focus on many topics, including over-the-counter medications as well as alternative and herbal remedies. The conference will begin at 7:30 am with registration and a complimentary breakfast and adjourn at 4 pm. The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence will also be hosting a half day Fall Prevention Intensive with the SIP conference on May 9th from 1 to 4 pm.

For more information, you can download the brochure here or contact Maria Henke at mhenke@usc.edu. Adobe Acrobat is required to open the brochure.

Click here to open the SIP conference brochure (232 KB)