In recognition of this year’s National Public Health Week campaign focused on safety and injuries (April 4-10)*, Public Health Management Corporation examined data on recent falls among adults 60 years of age or older residing in Southeastern Pennsylvania. An analysis of Public Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Data Base (CHDB) 2010 Household Health Survey found nearly one in five older adults (18.7%) has fallen within the past year, representing approximately 147,000 older adults in the Southeastern Pennsylvania region.

Falls can be devastating, costly and even deadly for older adults. The good news is that falls are preventable. The CDC recommends a combination of education, exercise, medication reviews and home safety modifications to reduce the risk of falls and injury among older adults.** Small actions like assessing the home for potential hazards such as poor lighting and uneven surfaces can make a difference in safety. In addition, research shows that strengthening and balancing exercise programs, such as Tai Chi for example, can improve balance and decrease falls among older adults.

For more data on falls among older adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania, visit www.chdbdata.org.

*For more information on National Public Health Week sponsored by the American Public Health Association, visit www.nphw.org.

**Information provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adultfalls.html.