In three months, three of our friends – two of whom are under 65 – have suffered terrible injuries in falls. Thirty-seven years ago, my father died from a fall. Be careful. Watch your step. Take yoga or tai chi.
ABQJOURNAL OPINION/GUEST_COLUMNS: New Mexico’s Fall-Related Death Rate Is Nation’s Highest
Sunday, September 20, 2009
New Mexico’s Fall-Related Death Rate Is Nation’s Highest
By Dr. Carla Herman And Frieda Gonzales
UNM Center on Aging N.M. Department of HealthTuesday, the first day of fall, is "National Fall Awareness Day," a day that spotlights fall prevention for older adults.
Every year, nearly 1,500 New Mexicans 65 years and older are hospitalized for fall-related injuries, and about 230 die from those injuries. Remarkably, New Mexico’s fall death rate is greater than two times the national rate for people 65 years or older — in fact, we have the highest fall-related death rate in the nation for all ages. These statistics represent one preventable tragedy after another.
ABQJOURNAL OPINION/GUEST_COLUMNS: New Mexico’s Fall-Related Death Rate Is Nation’s Highest