Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for seniors 65 and older.  Each year, one in three older adults, age 65 and older, falls.  About 30 percent of those who fall require medical treatment.  In fact, in 2005 more than 433,000 older adults were hospitalized for injuries from falls and nearly 16,000 died. 

Whether you know or are caring for an elderly loved one or not, the problems stemming from these falls affects all of us.  A staggering $19.2 billion is spent treating the elderly for the adverse effects of falls each year, and it is predicted that failure to stem the rate of increase in older adult falls will cause annual direct treatment costs to reach $43.8 billion in 2020. 

In addition to being costly and widespread, falls often initiate a downward spiral that forces older adults to lose their independence and traditional way of life.  But the good news is that there are many simple things that can be done to reduce the risk of falling.  Safety improvements include home safety modifications, health maintenance activities such as regular exercise to improve muscle tone and balance, and regular vision, hearing and medication checkups.   

In an effort to reduce the prevalence and severity of unintentional injuries such as falls, the U.S. House of Representatives on June 9 passed a resolution expressing support for the designation of June as National Safety Month.  During the month of June, organizations such as the National Safety Council and Home Safety Council have been conducting public service campaigns to promote safety in all aspects of Americans’ lives. 

As part of this effort, the National Safety Council is focusing its activities specifically on falls prevention.  The Council’s falls prevention webpage (http://www.nsc.org/resources/issues/fallstop.aspx) offers links to numerous articles and resources for reducing the risk of a fall.  June is also Home Safety Month, and the Home Safety Council is emphasizing room-by-room safety awareness to prevent falls through its new “virtual home” and other online resources available at http://homesafetycouncil.org/safety_guide/sg_lifestyle_w003.aspx

During this period of increased focus on older adult falls, I urge you and your loved ones to take advantage of community home assessment guidelines.  Experts in senior falls also recommend regular visits to the doctor for routine vision/hearing examinations, as well as an assessment of potentially destabilizing medications.  Together, by taking basic steps to reduce preventable fall-related injuries, we can help reduce the number one cause of injury and death for older adults in our country. 

(Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard is the first Latina in U.S. history appointed to the House Appropriations Committee.  She serves on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education where she oversees funding for many important health-related programs and agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health and community health centers.  In this role, she has been an advocate for CDC health research and preventative health programs.)