Seniors Group at La Mesa Health Library to Learn Tips for Avoiding Falls

The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free senior discussion group presentation on “Preventing Falls: What You Can Do,” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24. The public is invited to attend, and RSVP is not required. The speaker will be a representative from San Diego County’s Fall Prevention Task Force, a partnership of local service providers and community volunteers who work to reduce falls and their devastating consequences.

More than 12,000 older adults visit local hospital emergency rooms every year as the result of a fall, according to Task Force officials. The chances of falling increase as we grow older, and seniors are more likely to fall due to taking multiple medications or having vitamin D deficiency, impaired vision or difficulty walking, Herrick Library officials said. 

The discussion on April 24 will include tips on how to lower the risk of falling, such as talking with your doctor about health and medication issues, staying active to improve your strength, flexibility and balance, and removing things at home that can cause you to slip or trip.

The Herrick Library, which opened in 2002, is a consumer health public library specializing in health research information, accessible both on-site and via the Internet. The library is operated by the Grossmont Healthcare District, a public agency that supports health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County.  For more information, phone the library at (619) 825‑5010 or visit www.herricklibrary.org.