COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Health officials and community leaders are coming together Tuesday for a statewide summit focused on preventing falls, one of the most common causes of injury among older adults.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is hosting the fall-prevention summit, which will be broadcast to satellite locations across the state, including the UCHealth Memorial Administrative Center in Colorado Springs.
The event will provide information about common fall risks, ways to improve balance and strength, home safety tips and strategies to help older adults remain active and independent.
“Falls can be prevented,” explained Lori Morgan, trauma outreach and injury prevention specialist for UCHealth’s South region. “Many emergency department visits among older adults are related to falls, yet there are proven steps people can take to reduce their risk.”
Morgan said Colorado recently established a statewide Falls Prevention Coalition, which she described as an important step toward addressing the issue.
“We are one of maybe five states that didn't have a falls coalition,” Morgan said.
The summit is the first statewide event organized through the new coalition and will include a keynote speaker, discussions about how demographic changes are affecting falls in Colorado and ways community leaders can help reduce fall-related injuries.
The Four Cs of fall prevention
For people who cannot attend the summit, Morgan said having a plan in place before a fall happens can make a significant difference. UCHealth uses a program called the Four Cs as part of its Aging With Independence and Mobility program. The free fall-prevention program is offered throughout southern Colorado.
The Four Cs are:
- Calm: After a fall, stay calm and assess your body. If you hit your head, are taking blood thinners, are in significant pain or cannot move, call 911.
- Call: Know how you will call for help if you are on the floor. That could include keeping a phone nearby or using a voice assistant such as Alexa, Siri or Google Home.
- Come in: Have a plan for how emergency responders or others can get inside your home if the door is locked. That could include giving a trusted neighbor a key or having a garage access code.
Collaborate: Make sure family members, friends and neighbors know your fall plan so someone can respond if you are unable to get up or call for help.
Morgan said having a fall plan is only one part of prevention.
“We've learned from them that you really do, you do have to have a plan and really, you should take a fall prevention program because there's more to it than just if you fall,” Morgan added.
UCHealth's fall-prevention program meets for one hour a week for four weeks. Morgan said people do not necessarily have to be older adults to benefit from the information.
“Some of the literature will suggest as early as 40s,” Morgan said of the age when people are most at risk for serious falls. “We will invite people aged 50 and older to join us, but we've had some 40-somethings in our classes as well.”
Morgan said fall prevention is an issue that affects people across the lifespan. She said local UCHealth data shows falls accounted for roughly 58% to 59% of emergency room cases seen over a recent six-month period.
“It’s the biggest mechanism of injury that we see on any given day coming into the hospital, so it’s a big problem, and we’d like to reduce that,” Morgan said.
Colorado summit
The Colorado Springs satellite event will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UCHealth Memorial Administrative Center, 2420 E. Pikes Peak Ave.
The event is open to older adults, family caregivers, health care professionals, EMS personnel, senior living staff, aging services professionals, educators and anyone interested in learning more about fall prevention.
UCHealth also will offer local breakout sessions during the day, including balance screenings and other fall-prevention activities. Morgan said there is no formal registration deadline for the Colorado Springs location, which has about 50 seats. People interested in attending or learning more can contact Morgan at Lori.Morgan2@uchealth.org.
“I think it’s just the beginning,” Morgan said of the new statewide coalition. “It’s very exciting, and we're looking forward to the future and working together across the state to prevent falls because they are preventable as well.”
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