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Fifty Hertfordshire Pensioners Die Each Year From Falls
50 pensioners in Hertfordshire are dying every year as a result of having a fall...
The figures - which also show 5,000 over 65s are ending up in hospital - come alongside a national awareness week, to get relatives helping to make homes safe.
The charity Age UK says falls are one of the leading causes of death in those aged over 75.
Progress is being made in Hertfordshire, after the introduction of the "Falls Project" - keeping victims at home and saving the NHS and Hertfordshire County Council thousands of pounds in medical and adult care costs.
It works by routing 999 calls concerning falls to specialist crews who travel in a specially commissioned ambulance carrying home safety and medical equipment.
Colette Wyatt-Lowe, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Care, said: "Not only does this project mean that people avoid the inconvenience of what can be a stressful hospital visit, it benefits the ambulance service by preventing unnecessary use of their resources.
It also allows us at the council to speak to the patient straight away about how we can best meet their needs in the future."
John Martin, consultant paramedic for EEAST, said: "Around one in five emergency calls to the ambulance service is related to someone falling and this scheme shows how by taking a different approach to responding, we can pro-actively care for a greater proportion of patients in the community."
Click here for more details about keeping your Parents or Grandparents safe in their home.
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