EMS & Injury Prevention System Branch

           Summer 2016 Falls Prevention Campaign

Stanley J. Michaels – Senior Fall Prevention Specialist

Senior fall injuries are an enormous problem and place a huge burden on our seniors and their families as well as our health system. To address this issue, EMS and Injury Prevention System Branch (EMSIPSB) and the Hawaii Fall Prevention Consortium in collaboration with Foodland Supermarkets, Times Supermarkets, KTA Superstores, Kaiser Permanente, the Hawaii Community Pharmacy Association, Safeway Supermarkets, and City Mill are sponsoring the statewide Senior Fall Prevention Awareness Campaign from June 22 to August 30.  Safeway is a new pharmacy partner and City Mill is now the senior home safety headquarters.  The campaign features a newly broadcast educational video about fall prevention, new public service announcements, free medication reviews, balance testing, tai chi workshops, and presentations that focus on preventing falls among older adults.

The Campaign includes a number of different activities that will unfold in six areas. (1) Beginning June 22, more than 66 stores and clinics statewide will begin to distribute 68,000 “bag-stuffers” that contain fall prevention tips for seniors plus information on additional resources. (2) Free medication reviews and balance testing will continue throughout July and August.  Over 220 in-store pharmacists from sponsoring stores statewide will conduct FREE medication reviews of seniors’ medicines to determine if any may-delete contribute to dizziness and increased fall risk. Pharmacists will also conduct balance tests for those interested in determining if they are risk for a fall. (3) Kaiser Permanente Hawaii will partner with the Fall Prevention Consortium as part of their June 2016 Older Americans Month program. The Program includes Tai Chi for Health within their clinics for Kaiser members. (4) Tai Chi for Health (TCH) Instructor Workshops will be conducted on July 23 and 24 at the Plaza Moanalua on Oahu, and in Lihue, Kauai on August 6 and 7. TCH is a CDC approved and certified evidence-based program to improve balance and reduce falls injuries. (5) New Public Service Announcements will be broadcast on 4 networks during July and August and concurrently Olelo Public Access television will rebroadcast our educational videos. (6) Throughout the 2016 Campaign, fall prevention presentations will be giving to senior clubs on Oahu.  The 31st Annual Public Health Nursing, Inter-Disciplinary Team (IDT) Luncheon will feature a special fall prevention presentation in Wailuku, Maui on July 14th, including the newly broadcast KHON TV Special, “FALL PREVENTION: Securing Senior Safety and Independence”