Since 2010, the North East Specialized Geriatric Centre has helped seniors avoid debilitating falls through its Frail to Fit Falls Prevention Program.
Falls among older adults put a big strain on the health care system. This was one of the messages Dr. Susan Lane, a physician with the centre, brought to the inaugural Finlandia Village SISU Health, Wellness and Research Conference on Thursday.
They are responsible for 95 per cent of hip fractures among adults aged 65 and older, and for longer hospital stays than any other reasons for admissions.
The average length of stay in a hospital after an older adult is admitted due to a fall is 16 days. On average, hospital admissions for other reasons last 8.9 days.
In addition, 40 per cent of older adults admitted to hospital after a fall are too frail to return home, and are typically admitted to a long-term care facility after discharge.
“They're not able to go back to their home, they're not able to live independently anymore,” Lane said.
Lane and her colleague Shaen Gingrich, a physiotherapist with the North East Specialized Geriatric Centre, presented those findings at Thursday's conference.
The North East Specialized Geriatric Centre has recently partnered with Finlandia Village to expand its falls prevention program.
Through the Finlandia gym medical professionals can help seniors improve their strength and balance, and avoid falls that could land them in a hospital bed.
Other speakers at the conference included Dr. Janet McElhaney, a geriatrician at Health Sciences North and scientific director of the Health Sciences North Research Foundation.
McElhaney's main research area has been on effects vaccines have on older adults, and how to maximize the positive effects of vaccines in that population.
Dr. Peter Zalan, president of the medical staff at Health Sciences North, spoke about the changes that will need to occur so that the medical model in Ontario can accommodate an aging population with more chronic health conditions.
Zalan said it will not be an easy task to transform Ontario's medical system.
“The health-care system has become extremely complex,” he said. “I don't even think people in the health-care system understand its complexities.”
Carol Cameletti, the conference's organizer and co-chair, said it was a natural extension for Finlandia, which has started to support some medical research projects regarding older adults.
Cameletti said she expects Finlandia to host future conferences that will tackle issues related to seniors' health.
