Though falls are a major cause of trauma
among seniors, little has been done in the US to address the
situation. This is about to change, thanks to a study aimed at
developing a fall prevention programme for seniors to be undertaken
by Bankers Life and Casualty (BLC), a life insurer focused on the
seniors market, Life-Plans, a supplier of services to health
insurers, and the federal Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS).

Stressing the significance of the study, BLC’s president, Scott
Perry, said falls are a leading cause of deaths and the most common
cause of non-fatal injuries. More than 30 percent of American
adults over the age of 65 fall each year, he added.

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According to BLC, costs of fall injuries for people aged 65 or
older is estimated to amount to about $36 billion in 2008 and reach
$44 billion by 2020.

“The majority of falls, which are preventable, occur at home and
are a chief contributor to nursing home admissions and long-term
care claim costs,” said Perry. ”It’s essential that America’s
seniors have the insight and knowledge to prevent falls.”

John Wells, senior vice-president of long-term care for insurer
Conseco, BLC’s parent company, said: “This very important programme
could significantly impact the quality of life for our customers.
There is [also] the potential for improving our block of long-term
care business through claims management, which benefits our
customers by helping to improve the stability of our long-term care
policy premium rates.”

The joint study is the product of three years of research by the
DHHS and Life-Plans.

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