Program aims to reduce seniors’ risk of injury from falls

MADISON, Wis. — A Dane County program is aiming to help seniors stay safe in their own homes.

The “Safe at Home” program provides safety assessments and helps make necessary changes to reduce seniors’ risk of falling, including in-home modifications like adding railings.

The program also has a pharmacist who reviews seniors’ medications.

The goal is to keep seniors safe in their homes and able to live comfortably while saving money compared with nursing home options.

Phyllis Collins, who fell while riding her bicycle, said the program helped her recover.

“It’s meant just about everything. I mean, I was hurt and I don’t know what I would have done without them,” Collins said.

The program touts its clients’ fall rate of 18 percent, well below the 50 percent national average of those over 80 who experience a fall, as an indicator that it’s helping seniors.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , more than 25 percent of those over 65 experience a fall every year.

COPYRIGHT 2023 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.