Baltimore launches campaign to stop the elderly from falling (Baltimore Sun)

Monday Apr 16th, 2018

Far more people end up in the hospital with injuries from falling in Baltimore than in the rest of the state, leading city officials to launch a campaign Monday to curb the rate of falling among the elderly.

Nearly 5,000 older people were hospitalized in Baltimore last year for broken hips, concussions and other injuries suffered after a fall, city officials said. The city’s fall hospitalization rate is 55 percent higher than elsewhere in Maryland.

Officials hope to reduce the rate of falls in the city by 20 percent in the next decade with a campaign that will include targeting hot spots in the city where there are a high numbers of falls.

“Falls are a growing public health concern, especially for older adults,” said Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen.

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