Each year on the first day of fall, the Y joins national organizations from the Falls Free Coalition and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) for National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. On Monday, September 23, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA is asking older adults, caregivers, family members and health care professionals to join us in raising awareness to prevent falls among older adults.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an older adult in the U.S. is treated in the ER for a fall-related injury every 14 seconds and dies from a fall-related injury every 29 minutes. Additionally, falls put an immense strain on the health care system, with the financial toll expected to reach $67.7 billion by 2020. The good news is falls are preventable, and the first step to prevention is understanding risk.
As a leading community-based organization dedicated to improving the health and wellness of residents of all ages, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA encourages older adults to learn their risk for falls by taking an assessment at http://www.ymca.net/health-wb-fitness/ .
Once risk is assessed, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA is helping older adults feel strong, steady and safe by reducing their falls risk through programs like Moving for a Better Balance and Enhance®Fitness.
The CDC suggests these basic lifestyle and safety changes to help reduce risk or prevent falls:
- Begin an exercise program to improve your leg strength & balance.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medicines.
- Get annual eye check-ups & update your eyeglasses.
- Make your home safer by:
- Removing clutter & tripping hazards.
- Putting railings on all stairs & adding grab bars in the bathroom.
- Installing proper lighting, especially on stairs.
To learn more about the Y’s Moving for a Better Balance and Enhance®Fitness programs, be sure to speak with a member of our wellness team during your next visit. Or, simply register online today!
