Mountainside Hospital To Hold Free Bone Density Screening Event

From Mountainside Medical Center: In support of the 10th annual National Falls Prevention Day, Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center will be offering free bone density screenings on September 22 from 2 - 5 p.m. in hospital conference room #1 located at 1 Bay Avenue in Montclair, NJ. Please call 1-888-973-4674 or visit www.mountainsidehosp.com/events to register.

The screening, under physician supervision, will use an ultrasound of the forearm that helps to identify women and men at risk for osteoporosis. It's our goal to help educate individuals on steps they can take to help reduce the risk of falls and screen them for possible bone density issues," explains Florey Cruz-Cerpa, community health manager for Mountainside Medical Center.
According to the National Council on Aging, among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths, unintentional injuries, and hospital admissions for trauma. In honor of this year's theme, 10 Years of Standing Tall Together, here are some tips to decrease your risk for falls.

• Talk to your health care provider about falls and fall prevention. Ask about gait and balance assessments.
• Review your medications with your pharmacist or health care provider. Some medications may make you more at risk to fall.
• Have your vision checked by an eye doctor once a year. Update eyeglasses as needed.
• Participate in exercise and strengthening programs that can improve your balance.
• Conduct a home safety assessment, both interior and exterior.
• Learn about preventing falls with pets.

Arthur Calise, D.O., medical director of the Emergency Department at Mountainside Medical Center says, "The best advice to reduce your risk for falls is to maintain your overall health. The CDC tells us that older adults with poor health are almost seven times more likely to experience a fall due to reduced muscle strength, chronic health conditions, and the increased use of prescription medications. If you begin to experience mobility difficulties, loss of balance, or falls, contact a health care provider who can provide a fall risk assessment and detect any underlying cause. Don't put off taking action, falls can take a serious toll on quality of life, especially among the elderly."

More information on preventing falls will be available at Mountainside Medical Center's screening.

Image Courtesy of Mountainside Medical Center