Falls represent a significant public health issue no matter what age. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries in Grey Bruce. On average, falls cause 8630 emergency department visits, 743 hospitalizations and 29 deaths every year locally.

In Grey Bruce, the rate of emergency department visits for falls is 42% higher and the hospitalization rate is 48% higher than the overall Ontario rates. The risk of falling and injury increase as people get older; an estimated 1 in 3 older adults will fall each year.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit, the Grey Bruce Fall Prevention and Intervention Program and many community partners are working to raise awareness and to prevent falls and fall-related injuries.

“Falls are caused by a variety of factors.” says Amber Schieck, Health Promoter at the Grey Bruce Health Unit “We can all take action to prevent falls, such as keeping active, making sure inside and outside our home is safe, wearing proper footwear, and having our vision checked.”

Locally, a number of events celebrate Fall Prevention Month. Look for displays about fall prevention in your local library. Local restaurants have trivia cards for patrons to have fun and learn about preventing falls while they wait for their meal.

A Fall Prevention Workshop in Hanover today helped launch fall prevention month. The free workshop gave healthcare providers a chance to learn about fall prevention best practices, cannabis, fracture risk screening, resources and local success stories.

source: media release