Mason City, IA- A common problem is leading to rising deaths and medical costs nationwide. Safety experts say accidental falls are the number one cause of injury death among older Americans. Minnesota ranks sixth in the nation for falling deaths by population size. Iowa has the 12th highest. The medical tab to treat people with injuries from those falls is nearly $20 billion a year.
"I’ve fallen and I can't get up." Chances are you remember that TV commercial catch phrase. It’s a punch line for some and a serious subject for others who've hurt themselves and need help.
Amie Norris of Mason City has fallen more times than she'd care to count. With osteoporosis, simply sitting down too hard could land her in the hospital.
"I'm not really a clumsy person, I try to do more than I think I can do," said Norris.
Like more than 400,000 Iowans who are 65 and older. Norris has a high risk of falling. She remembers a tumble a few years back. Norris fell in her kitchen, and ended up with a broken knee and hip.
"I just looked around and there was nobody looking and you just feel awfully clumsy," she said.
Many falls like Norris' happen in the home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are things you can to do protect yourself, like removing clutter from the floor, installing handrails on stairways, and making sure those steps are well lit.
"Falls can be prevented with some of the safety things we have available especially in the bathroom areas and around the kitchens,” said Todd Kephart.
He sells medical supplies, and helps a lot of people after they've fallen. Kephart says accidents don't always happen in the home.
"It can be at an activity, it can be out in the public, falls occur anywhere and everywhere," he said.
Norris has learned to slow down and take her time when going from one place to the other. She also uses a walker, which has saved her from a few spills.
"I've been really lucky, and I wanna leave it that way, I wanna live to be a 100," she said with a smile.
We checked with the Mason City Fire Department. Over the past year they've answered more than 350 calls from elderly people who've fallen. There were 15 in the last week alone.
If you would like more information on preventing falls for you or your loved ones, click on this link.
There you’ll find helpful suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention.
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