AMENDED IN SENIOR SENATE OCTOBER 27, 2009

 

SENIOR SENATE PROPOSAL NO. 14

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR SENATOR HARTMANN

 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SP 14: FALL PREVENTION EDUCATION.

EXISTING LAW, THE MELLO-GRANLUND OLDER CALIFORNIANS ACT, DEFINES AN AREA AGENCY ON AGING AS A PRIVATE NONPROFIT OR PUBLIC AGENCY DESIGNATED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF AGING THAT WORKS FOR THE INTERESTS OF OLDER CALIFORNIANS WITHIN A PLANNING AND SERVICE AREA AND ENGAGES IN COMMUNITY PLANNING, COORDINATION, AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND, THROUGH CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS, PROVIDES A BROAD ARRAY OF SOCIAL AND NUTRITIONAL SERVICES. THE ACT REQUIRES THAT SERVICES PROVIDED TO OLDER INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE ACT BE MANAGED, DIRECTLY OR THROUGH CONTRACT, BY LOCAL AREA AGENCIES ON AGING OR OTHER LOCAL SYSTEMS.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD DECLARE THE FIRST WEEK OF FALL AS FALL PREVENTION WEEK AND WOULD RECOMMEND THAT AREA AGENCIES ON AGING AND LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS HOLD FALL PREVENTION EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AS SPECIFIED.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

 

SP 14: RELATING TO FALL PREVENTION

WHEREAS, ONE OUT OF THREE SENIORS IS PREDICTED TO FALL EACH YEAR; AND

WHEREAS, THERE WILL BE OVER 75,000 SENIORS HOSPITALIZED DUE TO FALLS IN CALIFORNIA THIS YEAR. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE AVERAGE HOSPITAL STAY COSTS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA $17,500, FOR A TOTAL COST OF $1,312,000,000 PER YEAR. NATIONALLY, MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR FALLS IS ESTIMATED TO COST $43 BILLION PER YEAR BY 2020; AND

WHEREAS, THE AVERAGE TOTAL COST TO INDIVIDUALS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR A HOSPITAL STAY IS $40,000 AND A ONE MONTH STAY FOR A FALL INJURY CAN REACH A TOTAL COST OF $300,000; AND

WHEREAS, AUTHORITIES CLAIM THAT UP TO 50 PERCENT OF FALLS COULD BE PREVENTED BY EDUCATION, MEDICATION EVALUATION, EXERCISE, IMPROVED HEALTH HABITS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES; AND

WHEREAS, THERE ARE CURRENTLY HUNDREDS OF FALL PREVENTION PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA BUT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE UNEVENLY DISTRIBUTED, WITH SOME SENIOR CENTERS HAVING PROGRAMS AND OTHERS HAVING NONE; AND

WHEREAS, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FALL PREVENTION DIRECTOR JON PYNOOS HAS SAID THAT “THE COST OF FALLS TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS STAGGERING AND YET VERY LITTLE IS BEING DONE ON A LARGE-SCALE BASIS.” COORDINATION OF THE NUMEROUS FALL PREVENTION PROGRAMS SEEMS TO BE AN URGENT NEED; AND

WHEREAS, LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS AND AREA AGENCIES ON AGING ARE TWO OF THE MAIN SENIOR PROGRAM AND EDUCATION CENTERS IN REGARD TO SENIOR WELL-BEING; AND

WHEREAS, THOUSANDS OF SENIORS IN CALIFORNIA WILL DIE OR BECOME DISABLED DUE TO FALLS THIS YEAR. UP TO 60 PERCENT OF SENIORS WHO BREAK A HIP IN A FALL DIE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE FALL; AND

WHEREAS, IN 2008, SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL (D-LONG BEACH) RECOGNIZED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS ISSUE BY PASSAGE OF SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 77, ESTABLISHING CALIFORNIA FALL PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK AS THE FIRST WEEK OF FALL; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, THAT AREA AGENCIES ON AGING AND LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS HOLD ANNUAL FALL PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAMS, PREFERABLY AT LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:

(1) CONDUCTING WALKABILITY TOURS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO CHECK FOR FALL HAZARDS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, UNEVEN SIDEWALKS, CURBS, SIGNALS, CROSSWALKS, AND STORE ENTRANCES.

(2) SPONSORING EXERCISE PROGRAMS FOR FLEXIBILITY, STRENGTH, AND BALANCE.

(3) EDUCATING SENIORS AS TO MEDICATION AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION RELATIVE TO FALL PREVENTION.

(4) SHOWING SENIORS HOW TO MODIFY THEIR HOMES, WHICH IS WHERE MOST FALLS OCCUR.

(5) SUBMITTING FALL PREVENTION ARTICLES TO LOCAL AND COUNTY NEWSPAPERS; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

RN 09 16593

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