Press Releases

October:

REDUCE THE RISK OF FALLS AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Aging in Hawaii: Free Fall Prevention Class for Seniors & Family Caregivers

Honolulu, Hawaii – The leading cause of injury among older adults are caused by falls, with the risk of serious injury increasing with age. Attention Plus Care is sponsoring Fall Prevention, part of a series of ongoing educational classes under the company's "Aging in Hawaii" program aimed to improve the health and safety of elders. The class is an opportunity for seniors and family caregivers to learn safety precautions to reduce the risk of falls and injuries. The free class is scheduled for Friday, October 2nd, from 9:30am to 11:00am at the Waikiki Community Senior Center.

Eileen Phillips, Client Services Director of Attention Plus Care and a Licensed Registered Nurse will lead the class.

"Here in Hawaii, we are fortunate enough to have many seniors who are still able to live in their own home.  As our seniors age, it is more likely that they will fall.  One-in-three seniors over the age of 65 will fall this year.  The older they are, the higher the risks of falling. The majority of falls that are fatal, occur in the home," said Phillips. "We need to make the public more aware of this problem, and keep our seniors safer at home and in the community."

Here are statistics on falls from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention:

• In 2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls, and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized.
• Twenty to 30 percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures, or head traumas. These injuries can make it hard to get around and limit independent living. They also can increase the risk of early death (Alexander et al. 1992; Sterling et al. 2001).
• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries, or TBI (Jager et al. 2000). In 2000, TBI accounted for 46% of fatal falls among older adults (Stevens et al. 2006).

"Aging in Hawaii" is a community outreach program with the mission to provide education and resources to improve healthy living for seniors. Classes began earlier in 2009, and will continue through 2010. Class topics include: Medication Management, Elder Nutrition & Diet, Managing Challenging Behaviors, Tai Chi Fitness for Seniors, Living with Parkinson's, End-of-Life Care, Alzheimer's Care, Diabetes Education, and Fall Prevention.

To make a reservation for Fall Prevention class or to inquire about upcoming "Aging in Hawaii" classes, please call (808) 440-9372.

Attention Plus Care, offers affordable solutions to the aging Hawaii population and their families, to meet a full range of client personal and health care needs. Since 1983, the company has provided millions of hours of high quality, affordable care, to thousands of clients in the comfort, safety, and relaxed environment of the home. In-home care is the alternative for affordable independent living to improve quality of life for elders, supporting alternatives for long-term care. The provider is Hawaii state licensed and Joint Commission accredited as a home care agency.