Lori McLeod
SAFE Seniors
I
f an elderly person fell in front of you, how would you respond?
If you knew you could save a life, we know you’d want to help. Among older adults, falls are the number one cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence, and injury deaths.
When considering our aging population, it’s easy to see how this already significant problem will quickly become more critical before long. A simple fall can have devastating effects on an older person. Unfortunately, it often takes only a momentary event, such as a fall, to remind us how vulnerable we actually are.
Medical alert services that protect people living alone from the consequences of falling are wonderful. In a perfect world, everyone would have access to such a service. Sadly, that is not today’s reality as many seniors are struggling to meet their basic financial needs for shelter, food, and medications on fixed incomes that are not keeping pace with everincreasing costs. Thankfully, charitable giving makes it possible for seniors in need to access valuable programs and services they may otherwise not be able to afford.
Photo by Philips Lifeline
Each year, 30 to 60 per cent of seniors suffer a fall, through accident or due to health conditions that leave them dizzy, lightheaded, or with poor eyesight.
If you knew you could save a life, we know you’d want to help.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia
Volume 27 Number 4 Winter 2018