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shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

(Category: Health and Fitness)

Alejandra Owens | July 1, 2008 | 10:36 AM
Alejandra Owens

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There's been a lot of talk about this new study released on Monday which found that in 2005, nearly 56,000 older Americans had to be hospitalized for a brain injury resulting from a fall. Reuters reports:

"Most people think older adults may only break their hip when they fall, but our research shows that traumatic brain injuries can also be a serious consequence," said Dr. Ileana Arias, director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

"These injuries can cause long-term problems and affect how someone thinks or functions," she added in a statement.

Long story short: falling is no good. This is obviously a useful study to learn more about the effects of falling, but the question is what can we be actually doing to decrease the high rate of falls among older folks? Check out this AARP article, "Better Balance Prevents Falls" which really takes a proactive approach in preventing falls. The CDC also has a really useful report that includes 14 scientifically proven interventions. Make sure to take a look-see.

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