Preventing Falls Strategic Framework

Nova Scotia seniors will be better protected from debilitating and potentially fatal falls and those who work with them better informed about falls prevention due to a provincial action plan released today, March 21.

Preventing Fall-Related Injuries Among Older Nova Scotians: A Strategic Framework was developed to enhance work under way by the Department of Health Promotion and Protection, Department of Health and the Seniors' Secretariat on falls prevention.

"Given our aging population, Nova Scotia cannot afford to be complacent about seniors' falls, we must act immediately to address this problem and we will," said Barry Barnet, Minister of Health Promotion and Protection.

Falls among seniors cost Nova Scotians $72 million per year. On average 76 Nova Scotian seniors die from falls each year.

Furthermore, 20 per cent of seniors die within one year of a hip fracture. The likelihood of seniors being injured or killed by a fall increases dramatically with age.

Under the strategic framework, Health Promotion and Protection will raise the profile of seniors' falls prevention among seniors, care givers, policy makers and the general public. The department will also work with post-secondary institutions to ensure health professionals and care providers receive training in falls prevention and risk management.

The Department of Health will partner with health authorities to ensure they have appropriate tools to assess and manage risk for seniors within their facilities and to encourage the building of safer physical environments.

The strategic framework is in response to a report released today which outlines the scope of the problem. Seniors' Falls in Nova Scotia: A Report indicates that falls utilize a disproportionate amount of hospital days for seniors and cause challenges to acute-care and long-term car beds.

Among the report's findings are that 10 per cent of the 2.1 million hospitals days used by seniors between 2000 and 2004 were due to fall-related injuries. Those fall-related hospitalizations are also three times lengthier than hospital stays for all other reasons.

Given that the number of Nova Scotians aged 65 years and older will double by 2026, the volume of these injuries will continue to grow if left unchecked with a resulting profound impact on the lives of Nova Scotia families and on the health-care system.

Preventing falls among seniors is one concrete way to stem the growing demands for health resources by reducing the strain on emergency departments, lowering the demand for non-elective and emergency surgeries such as hip replacements, reducing the number of hospital admissions among seniors and slowing the demand for long-term care.

"Addressing seniors' falls is a crucial step in ensuring the sustainability of our provincial health-care system," Mr. Barnet said. "Falls can be prevented and we have the information to help us with this."