Kentucky Has a New Group Focused on Preventing Falls in the Elderly

To further address the seriousness of falls, the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) has developed the Safe Aging Coalition, in collaboration with the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), Kentucky Pharmacists Association, the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), the Kentucky Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), AARP, Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, Hospice of the Bluegrass and other organizations around the state. The purpose is to form a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to keeping seniors healthy and independent by identifying and reducing risk factors for falling.

The coalition also urges residents of the Commonwealth to be mindful of potential injuries and take steps to prevent them.

Nationally, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three Americans aged 65 and older experiences a fall each year.

According to KIPRC, in Kentucky only 1 in 7 older adults hospitalized due to a fall was routinely discharged home from the hospital, compared to two-thirds of patients under 65. Similarly, patients 65 and older were six times more likely than younger patients to be discharged from the hospital into a nursing home for intermediate or long-term care.

If your organization has an interest in preventing falls among the elderly and would like to become a part of this group, feel free to contact Steve Sparrow at cssp224@uky.edu. We are interested in continuing to expand the group statewide.

Visit the Kentucky Safety and Prevention Alignment Network site for data on falls specific to your county.