While falling down sounds harmless for most people, for the elderly, it could be fatal.
There are plenty of steps you can take to prevent a tragedy in your home.
The Wisconsin DHS has released their EMS and Falls Report from last year, and their finding aren't good. They found that Wisconsin has the highest fall death rate in the country, and that falls among the elderly are rising.
EMS Captain Jared Linke from the Riverside Fire District, said, "If there's rugs with corners bent up, just remove those rugs and replace, it's cheaper to replace a rug than to go spend a night at the hospital."
He also recommended that elderly people wear a medical alert pendant around their neck in case they fall when no one is home, and Dana Lawson from the Portage County ADRC says that seniors shouldn't be ashamed if they fall.
Lawson said, "It's best just to talk about it, and maybe talk to other people about how they've fallen and what caused it." She also said that the ADRC has a list of resources for people to prevent falls.
