Falls Prevention Awareness Day, September 23, 2010

Sept. 13, 2010 - PRLog -- For: Liberty In Home Care, 206 Old Lancaster Road, Devon, PA 19333
Contact: Carolyn Frith, Carolyn Frith Marketing, carolynfrith@verizon.net, 610-340-0622

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Devon, PA, September 10, 2010:  Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries among older adults with more than 18,000 Americans dying each year due to a fall. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, on average, every 11 minutes, one Pennsylvanian senior citizen will be hospitalized for an unintentional injury due to a fall. But falls are preventable.  So, Steve Rakoczy, COO of Liberty In Home Care, is participating in a Senior Care Ministry Panel discussion, “Conversations in Crisis” at the Downingtown Methodist Church on September 25th from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., where he will offer simple fall prevention tips.  Other elder care subjects include finance, insurance, how to talk to doctors, and scams such as identify theft.

“Falls are more prevalent than strokes and the consequences can be as serious,” says Rakoczy who is accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to teach fall prevention to caregivers.  “However, even though they are more easily prevented than strokes, not many people talk about them.  As people grow older, the probability of falling increases. If you’re over 65 and living at home, you have a 40% chance of falling every year.  There are simple, low-cost techniques that can reduce that risk by 40%.  I’m trying to educate people so the elderly don’t end up in the emergency room for avoidable accidents such as tripping over a throw rug or slipping because they are wearing inappropriate shoes.”

Rakoczy’s Falls Prevention Educational Seminars explain why people are more likely to fall as they age, the upshot of falls, how to safeguard against them, and what to do if a fall occurs.  The risk of falling compounds with the number of health conditions a senior suffers from, taking several medications that may have adverse interactions, failing eyesight, foot pain and cognitive impairment.  Home safety can be improved by assuring there is sufficient light, clearing the clutter, removing loose carpets, installing railings and grab bars, making sure furniture is stable, and more.  Rakoczy also recommends that seniors put all their medications in a brown bag and take them to their family doctor or pharmacist for to evaluate if they are ingesting an unsafe cocktail of drugs that could affect their balance.  They should also have foot pain or visual impairment checked out and remedied if possible.  Finally, since half of seniors who fall cannot get up, they should plan how to communicate in the event of a fall and assure that they can stay warm and hydrated by storing blankets and water bottles in low areas.

Rakoczy became an expert on falls prevention because he wanted educate his company’s caregivers who lighten the load for family caregivers by providing care for individuals for a few hours a day to around-the-clock service, depending on needs. They help with anything from activities of daily living, such as eating, mobility and bathing, to medication, monitoring, errands and transportation.

For more information about Liberty In Home Care, the Conversations in Crisis panel discussion, free Fall Prevention Educational Seminars and in-home safety checks contact Steve Rakoczy, Liberty In Home Care, 610-254-9440 or visit www.libertyinhomecare.com.

For Steve Rakoczy’s bio Steve Rakoczy, COO of Liberty In Home Care is accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to teach fall prevention and is available for interviews.   For his bio, fact sheet on Falls Prevention Day, media advisories on upcoming educational seminars, tip sheets, talking points and videos of previous TV interviews visit www.libertyinhomecare.com/media.

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