Falls are the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Seventy-five percent of these falls occur in the older adult population. To educate our community about this problem, the Senior Safety Task Force is hosting the first community-wide Senior Falls Prevention seminar on Monday, September 22, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. at John T. O'Connor Senior Center. Dr. Monica Crane, with the Geriatric Assessment Program (GAP) and Mercy Health Partners will be the luncheon keynote speaker. Pre-registration is required.
More than one of every three adults aged 65 and older falls each year, accounting for 13,000 fatalities and 1.8 million hospital visits annually. The CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control shows that in 2003, the fatal fall injury rates for Tennessee adults in that age group were:
- 43.8/100,000 for men
- 31/100,000 for women
The deadline for registering is Wednesday, September 17th. Space is limited. Call (865) 541-4500 to reserve your spot today. The O'Connor Center is located at 611 Winona Street, Knoxville, TN 37917.
