April 13th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

Baltimore officials will announce a citywide initiative Monday aimed at curbing the number of injuries from falls, a major problem in the city that results in $60 million in hospital costs a year.

The number of falls is 20 percent higher in Baltimore than the rest of the state. The number of hospitalizations because of injuries from falls is 55 percent higher.

The initiative will focus on prevention, particularly among the older population. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults, according to the National Council on Aging.

The city’s new strategy will focus on mapping where falls occur using real-time hospital data and targeting fall prevention efforts in hot spots where there are high fall rates. The initiative will also include an educational campaign. The city will work with non-profit organizations to help make seniors’ homes more fall-proof.