One in three people aged 65 years and over typically fall once or more each year. In Grey Bruce, the rate of hospitalization associated with injury from falls is 21% higher than Southwestern Ontario and is 35% higher than the Province of Ontario.
Falls usually result from the combination of a number of factors such as a loss of balance; the side effects of medication; impaired mobility or vision; and environmental hazards.
“By 2016, the anticipated number of fall-related injuries among those aged 65 years and older would fill the equivalent of a 523-bed hospital, where every bed for every day of the year would be devoted entirely to caring for seniors injured from falls” – Dr. Vicky Scott, Clinical Associate Professor, School or Population & Public Health, UBC.
On March 24, the Grey Bruce Community Coalition for the Prevention of Falls in Older Adults will host a free and interactive seminar for healthcare providers including Personal Support Workers, Therapists, RN’s, RPN’s and anyone providing care in a hospital, community or long-term care setting.
Participants will learn from experts how to identify and anticipate their clients’ fall risk and learn practical ways to keep their clients on their feet and prevent falls. Keynote speakers Dr. John Van Dorp, Dr. Kim R. McKenzie and Occupational Therapist, Susan Pouget will examine a range of topics relating to fall risk and prevention including medications, alcohol and assistive devices.
The Seminar runs 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 24 at the Royal Canadian Legion, 505 Scott Street, Walkerton. Lunch will be provided free of charge. To attend, pre-register by March 19, by contacting Judy Porteous at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text60459 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 1-800-463-6824 ext. 416.
