2010-2 Fall Prevention Week, AARP - 9-21-09PROCLAMATION NO. 2010-2
WHEREAS falls are a costly and preventable health problem among people fifty and older and the leading cause of death by accidental injury for people over age
65; and
WHEREAS each year one out of every three Americans 65 and older falls, and over a third require medical treatment; and
WHEREAS in 2003, 13,700 persons (37 persons a day) age
65+ died from falls, the equivalent of one 737 airplane crashing a week; and
WHEREAS the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that $20 billion dollars is spent annually
to treat older adults for injuries caused by falls and most of these expenses are paid by Medicare, with costs expected to escalate to $54.9 billion by 2020; and
WHEREAS one-half of
all falls are caused by poor home design and homes can be made safer through simple and inexpensive measures, like removing scatter rugs to reduce tripping, using high-wattage lights
to brighten rooms and aid vision, making sure electrical cords run along walls and installing grab bars in bathrooms; and
WHEREAS it’s important to assess the impact of our health on
our potential to fall, to ask a doctor or pharmacist if any medications can cause dizziness, to have our vision checked and to exercise in order to maintain muscle strength, balance,
and flexibility; and
WHEREAS AARP Texas, in cooperation with other groups and organizations, wants to call attention to this serious problem among its members and the general citizenry
in order to prevent these accidents from causing unnecessary pain, suffering and economic harm.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY PROCLAIMED, by the power vested in me as Mayor of the City
of Huntsville, Texas that:
The week of September 21, 2009
be declared: “Fall Prevention Week”
in the City of Huntsville and call upon our citizens to observe this
week by taking any and all necessary measures to lessen the possibility of falls in their homes, workplace and community.
PROCLAIMED AND SIGNED this the 21st day of September, 2009.
__________________________
J. Turner, Mayor