Preventing falls

A low-cost state program to raise senior citizens' awareness about the dangers of falling reduced such accidents by 17 percent, a newly published study says. "Falling is a geriatric syndrome," said Dr. Steven Albert, chairman of the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Behavioral and Community Health Services and lead author of the study published in the American Journal of Public Health. "There's no magic bullet to prevent it." To reduce falls, the state Department of Aging devoted about $1.2 million for Healthy Steps, which is free to the participants. The program, which has been run through the region's area agencies on aging combines exercise with small-group information sharing, a link to seniors' primary care doctors and a home safety check. http://ow.ly/uOEe4