Falls Prevention Month in Dane County

September is National Falls Prevention Awareness Month – We ALL Can Be Involved!

Each September, we recognize National Falls Prevention Awareness Month. The Falls Free Dane coalition of Safe Communities and numerous community partners recognize the impact that falls have on individuals, families, communities, and systems each and every day. As the leaves start changing and drifting to the ground, it is an opportunity to remind ourselves that “only leaves should fall” and that falls are actually not an inevitable part of aging. There are ways we all can get involved to increase awareness about falls and their impact!

Older Adults: As we age, our bodies change, which is why it’s important for us to do the following:

• Get our vision checked each year. Those readers that you didn’t need last year may help you read the fine print this year!
• Talk with a primary care physician and/or pharmacist about all medications, supplements, and vitamins each year to ensure there are no adverse interactions that could cause dizziness or faintness.
• Ditch the high heels and flip flops for a shoe that is supportive with a back and textured sole.
• Survey your home: install grab bars and lighting, remove clutter (including throw rugs!), and move items that you use often to cabinets that are easy to reach.
• Keep those muscles that help us successfully sit and stand in shape! Walking is great cardio, but engaging in specific strength & balance exercises will help improve stability and prevent a fall. Check out the Safe Communities website for all kinds of classes happening throughout Dane County to help with this including dance, martial arts, Tai Chi, and Stepping On! (https://safercommunity.net/falls-prevention/#classes)
• Talk with your doctor and family if you have concerns about falling and if you’ve experienced a fall. Community-based classes, physical therapy, and the effective strategies listed above can be great ways to maintain independence by staying upright and healthy!

Friends, Family & Neighbors:

Being aware and alert can help YOU help a loved one who may be at risk of falling. When you have a visitor, ensure you remove rugs (especially those with upturned corners and edges), clear clutter, and turn on lights in dark areas. Check on older neighbors you haven’t seen in awhile (especially if they live alone). Have gentle, open conversations about adaptations that can help your loved one stay safer (drive during off-peak times and avoid driving at night and during inclement weather; encourage them to use a cane or walker that has been recommended by a health care provider; offer to change lightbulbs in hard-to-reach areas or collect the mail when it’s icy outside). Approach your loved one in a non-judgmental and caring way when starting a conversation about falls.

Health Care & Social Services Professionals:

Collaborate and talk to one another. We’re all serving the same individuals in our community so leveraging all of our strengths and finding ways to refer people to resources and programs that will help them is important. No one organization can do this work alone. Resources are limited and we need each other. In Dane County, our Falls Free Dane coalition members support one another by sharing ideas, referring individuals to one another’s services and programs, and exploring new, innovative ways to partner.

General Public:

Guess what? We’re all aging each and every day! That older person at the grocery store who may look like they need a little extra help to get groceries into the car could be you one day. Offer a hand! Clearing the ice on your sidewalk during our brutal Wisconsin winters, keeping cords out of walkways at the office, and reporting that water spill in aisle 6 at the supermarket are all ways that we can contribute to make our community safer for everyone – not just older adults. If we all slowed down a bit and took a deep breath to be more mindful about our surroundings (and of the people in them), we may see opportunities to spread kindness and lend a helping hand. Falls can be catastrophic and life-altering, which is why prevention is so important. And falls don’t just impact the person who experiences one – they impact families, communities, and systems. Calls to 911 for falls are one of the most common calls received by emergency services. If we could all do what we can to help prevent a fall, imagine how that would free up our EMS partners to respond to the many other emergencies for which they are called. Falls can also be costly. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, in 2020-21, hospitalizations for older adult falls cost $427 million in Wisconsin. And lastly, there’s not a price to be put on losing one’s independence. September may be Falls Prevention Awareness Month, but falls are something we should pay attention to year-round. Thank you to our local Dane County partners, our statewide partners, and to our national partners for the time and effort spent on exploring how we can reduce falls! And remember – it’s natural for leaves to fall to the ground this time of year – not you or your loved one.

On September 30 we will be holding our annual “Only Leaves Should Fall” event happening in Madison!

*Unfortunately event registration is closed as we have hit our maximum number of attendees*

Only Leaves Should Fall