Falls and Injury Prevention Video

Dr. Michael McGonigal, Director of Trauma Services of Regions Hospital and a lead member of the Wisconsin West Central Regional Trauma Advisory Council (WC-RTAC) was the featured speaker on Falls and Injury Prevention in a series of lectures called Health Sense. Dr. McGonigal has developed a model program to address each “fall” incident as a “sentinel event” requiring action for injury prevention.

“Last November, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control issued a wake up call of sorts to public health officials and those who work with the elderly across the United States. Even when adjusted for age, significantly more Americans age 65 and older—a total of 13,700—died as a result of falling in 2003 than a decade earlier. In addition, fall-related deaths are only part of the problem. More than one-third of individuals 65 and older fall each year, with 10 percent of those falls resulting in serious injury. More people 65 and older are hospitalized as a result of falling than any other type of injury. And, individuals who have fallen once are also much more likely to fall again.” Minnesota Medicine, Oct.2007.

Please watch the video for more information.