More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma. In 2004, 14,900 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls, and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized. The rates of fall-related deaths among older adults rose significantly over the past decade.

Who is most at risk? Men are more likely to die from a fall. After adjusting for age, the fall fatality rate in 2004 was 49% higher for men than for women. Women are 67% more likely than men to have a nonfatal fall injury. Rates of fall-related fractures among older adults are more than twice as high for women as for men. The risk of being seriously injured in a fall increases with age. In 2001, the rates of fall injuries for adults 85 and older were four to five times that of adults 65 to 74. Nearly 85% of deaths from falls in 2004 were among people 75 and older. People 75 and older who fall are four to five times more likely to be admitted to a long-term care facility for a year or longer.

To reduce the chances of falling, the Mason County Fire District 2 recommends you do the following:

•     Exercise regularly; exercise programs like Tai Chi that increase strength and improve balance are especially good.
•     Ask their doctor or pharmacist to review their medicines—both prescription and over-the counter—to reduce side effects and interactions.
•     Have their eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year.
•     Improve the lighting in their home.
•     Reduce hazards in their home that can lead to falls.

Here in Fire District 2, we are also seeing a rise in the number of calls for fall victims. We have programs in place to help prevent falls as well as procedures to get help to you sooner in case you do suffer a fall.

Fire District 2 offers free home safety inspection from our prevention department. Just give us a call and we'll schedule a time to come out to your house and help eliminate hazards and give you suggestions on how to minimize your risk. If you do suffer a fall and need to activate the 911 system, we have several programs in place to increase the level of service we are able to provide.

For a discounted one time cost of $125 Mason County Fire District 2 offers a device know as an “auto dialer”. This device will access the 911 system and start our team to help you. An alert alarm is worn around the neck that will activate the machine when a button is pressed. The device will contact 911 with a prerecorded message that advises 911 of the need for help as well as your location. Unlike other medical monitoring services there is no monthly fee for the device.

The district also has an address sign program provides a free sign visible from 300 feet to assist us in locating your house in an emergency and thus getting to your side sooner. We also have a “vial of life” program which will provide us a list of your medications and your basic health history so we may provide more thorough care for you.  Contact Ryan Cloud at 360-275-6711 ext 2.