INJURY PREVENTION INSTITUTE

National Senior Health and Fitness Day— May 28, 2008

May 28, 2008, more than 1,000 local organizations around the U.S. will join together and celebrate the 15th annual National Senior Health and Fitness Day. The goal for this special day is to encourage and keep older Americans healthy and fit.

In addition, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths and the most common cause of injuries and hospital admissions for trauma among adults aged 65 or older. Research has shown that many falls can be prevented by addressing personal risk factors (such as monitoring medications, improving balance and correcting vision problems) and environmental risk factors (such as removing tripping hazards and installing safety features such as handrails).

The ENA Injury Prevention Institute currently has a Falls Prevention Program for Older Adults titled “Stand Strong for Life.” For more information or to order this program visit www.ena.org/store/

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new program called “Help Seniors Live Better, Longer: Prevent Brain Injury.” Since falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the new CDC program compliments the ENA IP Institute/EN CARE’s “Stand Strong for Life” program. Both programs are directed toward older adults and their caregivers to help prevent falls and to recognize & respond to signs of traumatic brain injuries after a fall occurs. Emergency Nurses Association is listed as one of the participating organizations on the CDC Brain Injury in Seniors website. For more information about the new CDC program or to order TBI materials at no cost, click on the following link: www.cdc.gov/braininjuryinseniors

Additional Resources
www.fitnessday.com/senior/nshfd_info.htm
www.cdc.gov