Fire and Fall Prevention

Did you know adults age 65 and older are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fire or falls, and at age 75 the risk increases to three times that of the general population?

Information from the Center for Diseases and Prevention (CDC) indicates that falls are the leading cause of death and unintentional injury in the home. With thirty percent of people over 65 falling each year, we need to find ways to help older adults live more safely in their home for as long as possible. Communities can focus on falls prevention by promoting easy strategies to encourage annual hearing and vision screenings, or set-up local pharmacy reviews for people who take multiple medications, as these are some of the leading causes of falls. Click HERE for fall prevention strategies that you can implement in your community. 

Another important safety topic for older adults living independently is fire prevention. The National Fire Protection Association offers a program called “Remembering When” that champions injury prevention for older adults. Fall and burn prevention are the two areas of focus of this unique program, which contains everything needed to conduct a comprehensive fire and fall prevention program for older adults in the community.

Need Additional Help?

Centralina Area Agency on Aging is your local resource for falls prevention efforts – leading the Metrolina Falls Coalition, the annual Falls Expo and community falls prevention workshops entitled A Matter of Balance. To get involved in falls prevention efforts in your community, contact Natalie Tunney at ntunney@centralina.org. 

For more information about “Remembering When” and how to initiate more fall and fire prevention programs in your community, visit the NFPA website. Please also join us on Thursday, February 4 at 10 a.m. for a free webinar: Living Independently Longer at Home and in the Community. Janice Williams, Director of Injury Prevention with Atrium Health, will share real world examples of everyday changes we can make that can make our home safer, plus reduce our risk of falling and having car accidents.

Written by: Natalie Tunney