Safety solutions
A Falls Prevention Health Fair set for next week will offer free health screenings to attendees.
Hosted by Lee Memorial Health System’s Lee Center for Rehabilitation and Wellness and the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition, the event will take place Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gulf Coast Village. There will be screenings, fall prevention information and exercise demonstrations.
“Falls are one of our leading causes of injuries and deaths for seniors,” Mark Tesoro, injury prevention educator and analyst with Lee Memorial’s Trauma Services, said. “It’s quite an alarming number.”
Nationally, one out of three seniors fall each year. Twenty percent of those who fall have to be hospitalized, while 50 percent of those who are hospitalized due to a fall pass away within a year.
Last year, the Lee Memorial Health System recorded 666 falls among seniors – people age 50 and older. According to Tesoro, there are between 115 and 120 deaths locally per year due to falls.
September is recognized nationally as Falls Prevention Awareness Month.
“The start of fall is a good opportunity to prevent falls,” he said. “We try to do this every year.”
Tesoro pointed out that falls are not a normal part of aging, despite popular thinking.
“If you are falling, you are falling for a reason, so we need to identify what that reason is,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is prevent that first initial fall.”
The event will feature balance screenings, as well as vision screenings and hearing screenings.
“Strength and balance is an issue, but there is a variety of other issues,” Tesoro said.
There will be blood pressure screenings and fall-risk assessments.
“There’s also certain medical conditions that predispose you to falling,” he said.
Tesoro cited stroke patients and those with Parkinson’s or progressive dementia as some examples.
“Those folks tend to have more falls than others,” he said.
Drug interactions and the side effects of medications can also increase the chance of a fall.
“Seniors, they tend to push themselves through a side effect,” Tesoro said, pointing to dizziness as one example. “You shouldn’t have to sit there and push yourself through these medication side effects.”
Pharmacists will be on hand at the fair to go over attendees’ medications with them.
Poor footwear, like high heels and slippers or shoes with a slick bottom, can also be an issue.
“We are a flip-flop county, but they are certainly dangerous,” he said.
Home environment is another element. According to Tesoro, about 60 percent of falls occur at home. From securing throw rugs, to using nightlights, there are things people can do to lower their fall chance.
“People should never cross a dark room to turn on a light,” he said.
Pets, specifically dogs and cats, can be a problem, too.
“A chihuahua will take you down as quickly as a great dane,” Tesoro said.
Literature on fall prevention will be available at the fair, plus attendees can take home the results of their screenings for their own doctor to review. Walgreens will be on site to provide flu shots.
“It’s an opportunity to get everything done all at once,” he said.
Throughout the event, there will demonstrations provided on different types of workout routines, including chair yoga, power walking and tai chi.
“What we’re trying to do is get people out of a sedimentary lifestyle, which is less than 25 minutes of activity a day,” Tesoro said. “Every 15 minutes, we’ll have a different demonstration going on.”
Vendors will also be on hand with grab bars, canes, walkers and more.
Last year, approximately 250 people attended the fair.
“We’re hoping for at least 300 this year,” he said.
For more information on the Falls Prevention Health Fair, call Mark Tesoro at (239) 343-3672.
Gulf Coast Village is at 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. in Cape Coral.