September 16th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

Maryland seniors go to the emergency room for falls more than for any other type of injury. To bring awareness to the dangers of falling, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has designated the week of September 18-24, 2016, to be Falls Prevention Awareness Week.  

Falls Prevention Awareness Day (FPAD) will be observed on September 22, 2016, across the nation. This year the theme is “Ready, Steady, Balance: Prevent Falls in 2016.”   

In 2014, there were 132,106 emergency department visits for fall injuries among all ages in Maryland. Of those, 32,886 were among adults 65 and older. There were 15,549 hospitalizations for fall injuries among adults 65 and older in 2014. Hospitalizations alone cost nearly $254 million for falls in adults 65 and older, while fall-related emergency visit charges were approximately $20 million.