Jerry Smith

So, the day of writing did not begin so well; maybe things are in better shape now.

FALLS AS A NATIONAL HEALTH PRIORITY:

I will deviate from the topic discussed recently concerning Drop-Attacks except to say it is, as described in a previous column, a most mysterious, frightening (and I might add, neglected) subject. After Tommy Hall of Big John’s Treat Shoppe exposed me to the expression, I have asked over a hundred people and none (as in not even one) have ever heard the expression. Hope and pray you never experience a dropattack.

Even before the subject of dropattacks was ever heard, there was on my “tidy” desk a report about which I intended to write. That report was titled the same as the heading of this paragraph and well emphasized that falls was a major problem in our society, especially among the elderly.

Congress got in on the act of concern of the elderly and falls when they passed “The Elder Fall Prevention Act.” This is not an act against falling; it is an act for the development of effective public education, expansion of services and research on best practices.

TV COMMERCIALS ABOUT FALL RELATED TOPICS:

We are all exposed to commercials on television about falls and means of getting assistance when one does fall. Falling is a concern for most elderly. One report began by saying,