Falls Prevention Task Force
Falls are Dane County’s number one cause of injury-related hospitalization, with older adults bearing the brunt of these serious injuries. Research indicates that falls are not an inevitable outcome of aging. Most serious falls can be avoided with preventative medical care and coordinated community support.
Safe Communities, a non-profit safety and injury prevention coalition based in Dane County, convened a Falls Prevention Task Force in January 2007 in partnership with Madison Patient Safety Collaborative, its members and community partners that serve older adults.
Thanks to grants from Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation, Safe Communities has facilitated active participation by 37 task force member organizations (download pdf of task force members) to pursue our goal of reducing falls-related hospitalizations and emergency visits by 10% over three years. Methods we are using to reach this goal are:
- Improving the processes of care for people who have fallen or are at increased risk for falls.
- Enhancing coordination of services for patients at risk between the health care organizations, community organizations, and the ageing network.
- Developing and implementing a Falls Helpline via United Way 2-1-1 so that people at risk can access needed services.
- Implementing a public awareness campaign that highlights the significance of falls and ways to reduce falls.
- Educating of caregivers (physicians, physical and occupational therapists, and nurses) about evidence based evaluation and treatment of people at risk for falls.
- Expanding availability of community-based exercise classes shown to reduce falls risk.
For more information about the Falls Prevention Task Force contact Task Force Chair, Dr. Andy Kosseff, Physician Director of Quality Improvement, St. Mary’s Hospital or Cheryl Wittke, Executive Director, Safe Communities Cheryl Wittke, Safe Communities’ Executive Director at 256-6713.
Falls Prevention Helpline of United Way 2-1-1
One call means complete access to Dane County’s falls prevention services. That’s the goal of the Falls Prevention Helpline of United Way 2-1-1.
Call 2-1-1 for up-to-date information about falls prevention services in Dane County. The Falls Helpline is set up to ensure that when an older adult or concerned family member calls 2-1-1, they can access both community and medical services designed to keep older adults safe and independent.
How the Falls Prevention Helpline of United Way 2-1-1 Works:
