Hosted by the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) and the Knoxville-Knox County Senior Safety Task Force, the sixth-annual senior falls prevention seminar, Preventing Falls: A Balancing Act, takes place Friday, August 15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the John T. O’Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona Street. The seminar is free and open to the public, but registration is required by calling 865-541-4500 by August 11.
The seminar is designed for seniors and their families as well as health care professionals. Session topics include the caregiver’s role in preventing falls, medication awareness and the importance of proper exercise. Continuing education units (CEUs) for nurses and LPNs are available. The seminar includes an exercise break and lunch. Vendors will offer a variety of information and health screenings. Sponsors include Covenant Senior Health, Walgreens, The University of Tennessee Medical Center and Knoxville-Knox County CAC Office on Aging.
According to 2011 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the third leading cause of accidental deaths in Tennessee with 85 percent of those occurring among adults 65 and older. In the U.S., 1 out of 3 adults 65 or older falls each year. Of these, 20 to 30 percent will suffer serious injury, such as fractures in the extremities, head lacerations, head traumas or fractures of the spine.
KCHD convened the Senior Safety Task Force in 2008 to address concerns about falls in the older population. More information is available by contacting Rachel Frazier at KCHD at 865-215-5175 or rachel.frazier@knoxcounty.org.
