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SALT LAKE CITY — Jeannette Flamming and John Mendes held hands as they rounded the last leg of the 1-mile walk Wednesday. They quietly encouraged each other to cross the finish line, marking a 15-minute mile, which is pretty slick.
"We did it," said Flamming, 79, flashing her certificate of completion toward Mendes.
The annual event, put on by Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services, aims to help older adults realize that physical activity can prevent falls.
"A lot of people think that falls go along with getting old, but falling is not a natural part of aging," said Beck Kapp, agency director.
Proper diet and regular exercise can help seniors offset the age-related declines in balance, vision and mobility, Kapp said.
"We are short on exercise," Flamming said, adding that yardwork is the only activity she gets most days.
"Oh, we play shuffleboard," she remembered.
Mendes, an 85-year-old high board diver, however, heads to the pool on a daily basis, but with fall beginning and winter on its way, many facilities have closed the high-diving boards until next summer.
"I haven't been to the pool since Labor Day," he said. "I'll have to change that."
One in 3 adults age 65 and older falls each year, but fewer than half talk to their health care providers about it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the same age group, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries.
A lot of people think that falls go along with getting old, but falling is not a natural part of aging.
–Beck Kapp, Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services director
The Utah Department of Health reports an average of nine hospitalizations for injuries due to a fall each day. Falls are also the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries in Utah, and fewer than half of patients who sustain a brain injury from a fall are able to return to their homes after being hospitalized for the injury.
Combined costs of fall-related hospitalizations and emergency room visits in Utah are roughly $123 million annually, the health department reports.
"It's a huge financial hit to their pocketbooks, as well as a major emotional change, as it alters their independence," Kapp said. "And if cost is prohibitive to obtaining health care, preventing falls reduces the ultimate cost of health care for seniors.
"As Utah's 65-and-older population continues to grow, the impact and cost of fall-related injuries and deaths will increase dramatically unless this serious public health threat is addressed," she said.
Seniors who participated in Wednesday's Falls Prevention Awareness Walk also had the opportunity to be screened for balance issues to further determine their risk of falling.
Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News
"A lot of older adults are at a higher risk for falls," said Genevieve Olivier, a physical therapist and teacher at the University of Utah.
Olivier said various providers throughout the valley offer prevention measures and classes to help people reduce their fear of falling, increase strength and balance, as well as to clear clutter and other tripping hazards from their homes.
"Fall risk is a multi-faceted problem," she said, adding that as the brain ages, it becomes more susceptible to injury. "There is more wiggle room for those unstretched blood vessels, which can cause damage more easily."
To prevent falls, seniors should find ways to build balance, strength and flexibility, as well as get vision and hearing checks annually. Doctors and pharmacists can explain a person's risk of falling and determine if certain medications increase that risk.
Another way to prevent falls, according to the National Council on Aging, is to increase lighting in the home, make stairs safe and install grab bars in key areas. Family can also play a part in keeping seniors safe.
For more information, visit ncoa.org/FallsPrevention or the local agencies geared toward helping Utah seniors, www.hsdaas.utah.gov. Kapp said each city has resources to help aging Utahns and their caregivers.
"The whole idea of fall prevention is to help you be free and allow you to keep growing," said Jody Davis of CareSource Home Health and Hospice, who spoke to the group during lunch Wednesday.
Davis encouraged participants to adapt to the changes they face as they age, and "keep on living."
"Many of you are of the greatest generation, and you inspire the rest of us," he said. "There's somebody who is watching you and getting inspired by your efforts."
