ALZHEIMER’S FAMILY SERVICE CENTER PARTICIPANTS CONDUCT WALKABILITY STUDY DURING FALL PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Anita Rodriguez-Lambert
(714) 593-1842
Alambert@AFSCenter.org

ALZHEIMER’S FAMILY SERVICE CENTER PARTICIPANTS CONDUCT WALKABILITY STUDY DURING FALL PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK

(Huntington Beach, CA) - On September 20, 2010 fall prevention coalitions and health and senior service agencies across the United States will kick off a week-long celebration of Fall Prevention Awareness Week by holding presentations, health fairs, and demonstrations to raise awareness among older persons and their families about the seriousness of falls and ways to reduce fall risk.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an older adult is treated in a hospital emergency room for a fall every 18 seconds, and every 35 minutes an older adult dies as a result of a fall-related injury. In fact, among older adults falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma. In California alone, 1.3 million older adults experience an injury due to falling each year.

The good news is that falls are preventable. A combination of interventions has been found to significantly reduce falls in the older adult population. One intervention is to ensure one’s physical environment is safe, which is why Alzheimer’s Family Services Center plans to celebrate Fall Prevention Awareness Week by completing a Walkability Study in two of our favorite Huntington Beach parks. Participants in the Center’s early-stage dementia program will be teaming up with community volunteers to complete a survey of the following locations:

Edison Park Monday, September 20, 2010 at 11:00am
Shorecrest Neighborhood Wednesday, September 23, 2010 at 11:00am
(The neighborhood on Bushard/Indianapolis)

Do the park’s sidewalks and paths end abruptly or have uneven surfaces? Are there scary dogs or lots of traffic? Our comprehensive Walkability Study will uncover the answers to these questions and more. Afterwards, the walkability of each park will be scored and survey participants plan to submit any recommendations for improvements to the Huntington Beach City Council.

The staff, participants, and volunteers involved in our Walkability Study want to make our local parks safe for our participants and reduce the risk of falls for all older adults in the community. Please join us in our fall prevention efforts.

Affiliated with the Hoag Neurosciences Institute, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center, a private non-profit agency, is the only Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center in Orange County. The agency fulfills its mission through a continuum of direct care, caregiver support, education, and outreach services. For more information regarding Alzheimer’s Family Services Center or the agency’s plans to celebrate Fall Prevention Awareness Week and our Walkability Study, call 714-593-9630 or visit www.AFSCenter.org.