News Release, National Safety Council, Feb. 8, 2002

For Immediate Release     
February 8, 2002      
Contact: Joe Larkin
630-775-2303

Hutchinson and Pallone Introduce Legislation to 
Reduce Falls Among Older Americans
National Safety Council Supports Bill

Itasca, IL -- Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), strongly supported by the National Safety Council (NSC), today introduced the *Elder Fall Prevention Act of 2002,* a bill to address the problem of falls among America¢s elder population.
 
As stated in the bill, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among people over 65.  Sixty percent of fall-related deaths occur among persons 75 and older. One fourth of elderly persons who sustain a hip fracture die within one year.
 
At a Washington press conference introducing the bill, Sen. Hutchinson said, *The Elder Fall Prevention Act will provide needed resources for education, research and demonstration projects aimed at reducing the risk of falls, identifying vulnerable populations, and preventing repeat falls. I am also pleased to have Senator Barbara Mikulski, of Maryland, and Senator Mike Enzi, of Wyoming, as lead cosponsors.*

*The congressionally chartered National Safety Council, which is a leader in fall prevention efforts,* Hutchinson said, *will be spearheading several of these initiatives, along with the Centers for Disease Control, the Administration on Aging, the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, and other qualified organizations.*  

Rep. Pallone said, *The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that fall-related medical expenses cost Americans more than $20 billion each year. And projections show these expenses will climb to more than $32 billion over the next 20 years, posing an additional burden on already strapped Medicare and Medicaid funding.  We can and should take action now to address this issue so troubling to so many of our elderly constituents.  Our legislation would create effective pre-fall and post-fall interventions to reduce the incidence of falls and mitigate their impacts.*

National Safety Council President Alan C. McMillan said, *It is heartening to know that falls among our older population, an egregious public health problem, will be aggressively addressed through the provisions of this legislation.  The National Safety Council wholeheartedly supports the ¡Elder Fall Prevention Act of 2002¢ because it will reduce the numbers of fall-related injuries and deaths and also reduce related costs to individuals and our nation as a whole. This legislation will support proactive and preventive approaches to geriatric falls and thereby reduce unnecessary private and public sector spending on fall-related health expenses."

The National Safety Council, founded in 1913, was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953.  Among its objects and purposes is *to organize, establish, and conduct programs for the education of all persons in safety methods and procedures.*  With 37,500 member organizations and 50 local and regional chapters across the country, the National Safety Council is the nation¢s leading health and safety organization. 
 
*The National Safety Council has enormous resources and stands ready to help implement the provisions of this legislation,* said McMillan.

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