Falls are the most common cause of injury for British Columbia seniors, despite evidence that shows most are preventable.
One in three British Columbians over the age of 65 will experience at least one fall every year. Injury from a fall often results in chronic pain, disability, reduced quality of life and is the main reason why older adults lose their independence.
Nearly 40 per cent of all fall-related hospitalizations involve a hip fracture, which greatly impacts the health and well-being of seniors, as well as the B.C. health-care system.
There are many resources available to help older adults stay fall and injury free, including videos, brochures, booklets and guides. The new edition of the BC Seniors' Guide also provides tips on healthy aging and fall prevention.
In addition to providing resources, the B.C. Liberal government supports the prevention of falls by working with health authorities, health-care professionals, injury-prevention experts and the public in developing fall-prevention projects and programs, including:
• Strategies and Actions for Independent Living (SAIL) Falls Prevention Project – a training program for community-health workers and home-health professionals that addresses falls and related risk factors among clients of publicly funded home support services. Health authorities are currently implementing SAIL and are expanding its scope across their regions.
• Framework and Toolkit for Fall Related Injury Prevention in Residential Care – resources for health-care professionals to support planning, implementation, distribution and evaluation of fall-prevention programs in residential care.
• The Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum: www.canadianfallprevention.ca – evidence-based training for health-care professionals on how to design, implement and evaluate a fall-prevention program.
• Primary Care Fall Prevention resources for physicians and other primary-care providers to assist their patients to identify and reduce their fall risks.
Under BC's Family Agenda, the provincial government invites your input on how to encourage seniors to stay safe, healthy and active. Visit: www.familiesfirstbc.ca to share your ideas.
For more information on fall prevention, visit SeniorsBC at www.gov.bc.ca/fall prevention.