The single biggest cause of injury among seniors is falling and the most common injury is a broken hip. the second largest cause of injury among older adults is automobile accidents.

Other causes are elder abuse and residential fire-related injuries. Injury among older adults is such a serious threat to health and well-being that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is paying close attention. >>More

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More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year. Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths and the most common cause of hospital admissions for trauma.

Older people sometimes limit their activity because they are afraid of falling.

Falling and the results of falling is a serious matter among older people. In Paul Kleyman’s article for Aging Today, he discusses this matter and how to prevent falls and injuries in detail. It can be downloaded here. >>Download

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How To Prevent Falling

Balance can be improved by strengthening the muscles in the legs and back. Tai Chi is a strength training exercise program that is actually fun. Tai Chi is recommended for seniors by the Centers for Disease Control and classes are available through just about every senior and recreation center. >>More

Other Strength Training Exercises:

Of course there are all sorts of strength training exercises and there are ways to strengthen our body with everyday activities. Here are a few:

• Try standing with the knees slightly bent while conducting routine daily activities such as shaving or putting on makeup.
• Gardening is a wonderful source of exercise
• Go up and down any set of stairs an extra time
• Every day, get down on the floor and up again. Look under the bed, clean the edges of the kitchen floor, look for something that has fallen.

Each day, these activities will become easier, muscles will get stronger, and balance will improve.

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Senior Automobile Accidents

Seniors 65 and over are second-most likely to die in car accidents after teenagers.

From a 2006 study coauthored by

Richard Kent, Assistant Professor

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

University of Virginia:

“The archetypical elderly driver fatality involves a belted, sober driver pulling into the path of an oncoming vehicle during the day and dying several days after a collision of moderate severity…”

The AARP offers driver safety program for seniors in just about every city. >>More

The AARP also offers a very useful list of warning signs that it is time to stop driving. >>More