Fall Prevention Program Launched to Keep Seniors Active and Independent

Medical experts from Westchester Medical Center (WMC), the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, recently joined County Executive Robert P. Astorino and the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester to launch a new balance-training and fall-prevention program for seniors.

“Falls send more people to regional trauma centers and local emergency rooms than any other cause. These injuries can be debilitating to the individual, and seniors are particularly susceptible to falls,” says Corrado Marini, MD, Section Chief of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery and Director of Adult Trauma Services at WMC. “The bottom line is that many fall-related injuries are preventable, and all of us at Westchester Medical Center are committed to working with community partners to prevent such injuries.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls account for 25 percent of all hospital admissions and 40 percent of nursing-home admissions – with 25 percent of these patients dying within a year of the event. Over $30 billion is spent each year on healthcare costs related to a fall injury. Medicare costs for hip fractures as a result of falls are projected to reach $240 billion dollars by 2040.

Agencies collaborating with WMC and the YWCA for the fall-prevention initiative are the balance-training program StepWISEnow and the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services.