Parachute (a national charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives) is excited to announce the 2nd annual National Injury Prevention Day: July 5th – a day to raise awareness around the importance of injury prevention and aid Canadians to live long lives to the fullest through education and advocacy.
Injury prevention is critical to saving lives: Did you know that injury is the number 1 cause of death of Canadians ages 1 to 44? Or that injury costs the Canadian economy $27 billion a year? Or that injuries result in 3.5 million emergency room visits every year? We know that most injuries are predictable and preventable: We need your help spreading our information on preventing serious injuries on the road, at home, and at play.
Their goal is to provide the necessary information and tools to the public, and to work diligently to ensure that one day Canada will be free of serious injuries. For additional resources www.parchutecanada.org.
Injuries have enormous consequences for seniors and their caregivers, and they are costly to the Canadian health system. Falls are the leading cause of injury among seniors, while vehicular collisions are the leading cause of accidental deaths in the 65-74 age group. Falls and vehicular collisions together account for approximately 91 percent of injury-related hospital admissions among seniors. In 2004-2005, seniors accounted for 41 percent of all injury-related hospitalizations in Canada. As the seniors’ population (age 65 and over) continues to rise in the future, the burden of injuries is expected to increase.
To help prevent seniors’ injury, the Division of Aging and Seniors has undertaken many initiatives in public education, community-based programming, and policy development. The Division continues to work collaboratively with stakeholders to increase the capacity of the Canadian health care system and community practitioners to plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based injury prevention programs.
For example, funding support was provided for the development of the Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum. A first in Canada, the Curriculum teaches health care providers and community leaders to design, implement and evaluate fall prevention programs for older persons.
Another example concerns injury prevention for older drivers, an emerging public health issue. The Division has been a key contributor in the development of the National Blueprint for Injury Prevention in Older Drivers. Also a first of its kind, the Blueprint brings together a multi-disciplinary approach to exploring the health conditions that may affect the capacity to drive safely.
Visit https://www.canada.ca for additional information and resources such as the following:
- Bruno and Alice—A Love Story in Twelve Parts About Seniors and Safety
- How to Lower Your Fall Risk
- If You Fall or Witness a Fall Do You Know What to Do?
- Seniors’ Falls in Canada – Infographic
- Seniors’ Falls in Canada: Second Report
- The Safe Living Guide—A Guide to Home Safety for Seniors
- What to Do After a Fall
- You CAN Prevent Falls!
- 12 Steps to Stair Safety at Home
And just a quick giggle about an injury to end the column: The chef at a family-run restaurant had broken her leg and came into our insurance office to file a disability claim. As I scanned the claim form, I did a double take. Under “Reason unable to work,” she wrote: “Can’t stand to cook.”
Information in this column is compiled by Shell-Lee Wert- Executive Director of CCSH, 470 Dundas Street East, Unit 63, Belleville, K8N 1G1. Please visit our website at https://www.ccsh.ca, or email me at shell-leew@www.ccsh.ca or check out our CCSH Facebook page, or call 613-969-0130 or 613-396-6591 for information and assistance. CCSH is a proud United Way member agency. Funding in part from the South East Local Health Integration Network