A display at a Health Link office in Medicine Hat educates people about tips to prevent fall -photo by Ross Lavigne

By Charles Lefebvre

Fall Prevention

AHS focusing on fall prevention in November

Nov 1, 2019 | 4:43 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Alberta Health Services is reminding people, especially seniors, to take precautions and help prevent becoming the victim of falls.

November is Fall Prevention Month in Alberta, and AHS will be spending time educating the public about the ways they can reduce the risk of falls.

“Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults in Alberta,” said Lisa Doyle with AHS on Friday. “20 to 30 per cent of Albertans will have a fall at least once a year. Falls actually cost Albertans over $290 million due to hospitalizations as well as ER visits.”

While falls can happen at all ages, Doyle says people 65 and older are more susceptible to falls.

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“As we age, we can have decreased vision, decrease hearing, increased muscle loss and bone density loss that can put you more at risk for a fall,” she said.

Doyle says Alberta Health Services is encouraging people to stay physically active throughout their lives to reduce their risk of falls and improving your strength and balance.

“We really don’t just want to focus on older adults,” she said. “We want to focus on younger adults and middle aged adults to help get them active earlier on, so as they age, they have those behaviours in place, and they can take them with them as they age to stay active.”

AHS will be hosting its annual Don’t Fall Behind event on Tuesday at the Medicine Hat Public Library. Be Fit For Life, pickleball clubs, yoga studios and walking clubs will be in attendance. The event runs from 4-6:30 p.m.

Doyle says people should also de-clutter their homes and remove trip hazards, such as rugs or boxes, to help prevent falls from occurring.