Palmer Man, 83, Dies from Fall at Home

An 83-year-old Palmer Township man died as a result of an accidental fall at his home at 72 Moor Drive, according to the Lehigh County coroner.

Raymond Bassinger was pronounced dead at 7:59 a.m. Thursday at St. Luke's University Hospital, Fountain Hill. Bassinger broke his leg when he fell, the coroner said in a news release.

Among older adults (those 65 or older), falls are the leading cause of injury death, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The CDC says of fall-related deaths:

• The death rates from falls among older men and women have risen sharply over the past decade.

• In 2009, about 20,400 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries.

• Men are more likely than women to die from a fall.  After taking age into account, the fall death rate in 2009 was 34 percent higher for men than for women.

• Older whites are 2.4 times more likely to die from falls as their black counterparts.