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Norfolk Fire-Rescue, Sentara trauma services partner to prevent falls
Home visits aim to help seniors prevent falls with injuries, early deaths
answers up to 15 calls per day for falls with injuries. They transport many of those patients by ambulance to the Level I trauma center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
In 2023, falls accounted for 27% of the hospital’s 5,000+ trauma cases. Of those falls, 62% involved patients over the age of 65.
The prevalence of falls with injuries among seniors is the reason for a new fall prevention partnership between Sentara Norfolk General’s trauma team and Norfolk Fire-Rescue’s new Community Response Team
“A bad fall can be the beginning of a long decline for seniors,” said Fred Paquet, battalion chief of EMS for Norfolk Fire-Rescue.
“The goal of this initiative is helping seniors avoid falls by reducing fall risks we identify and providing education they can use to make their own homes safer.”
Team members will visit seniors’ homes by request to conduct safety surveys. Fall risks include area rugs, ladders, bathtubs and showers with no grab handles, stairs with no railings, and the absence of night lights in bedrooms, hallways, and bathrooms.
“Falls can lead to premature death,” said Jay Collins, M.D., chief of trauma at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and professor of surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School. “A broken hip or brain injury from a fall can lead to multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation, with no guarantee of ever going home.”
“We want seniors to live longer, healthier, more independent lives in their own homes, and preventing falls is critical to meeting that goal.”
Norfolk Fire-Rescue has formed a Community Response Team with an assigned vehicle with special graphics to identify its purpose. Personnel have been trained to identify fall risks and suggest ways to mitigate them.
The Injury Prevention team at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital has provided brochures, grabber tools for safe reaching and other materials to inform residents of ways to stay safe in their homes.
“We excited to get this program underway,” said Chief Paquet. “Our goal is to have fewer fall patients to transport to the hospital, and that’s good for everybody.”
To request information or service, contact Norfolk Cares by calling (757) 664-6510 or using online or the My Norfolk Mobile App.
In 2023, falls accounted for 27% of the hospital’s 5,000+ trauma cases. Of those falls, 62% involved patients over the age of 65.
The prevalence of falls with injuries among seniors is the reason for a new fall prevention partnership between Sentara Norfolk General’s trauma team and Norfolk Fire-Rescue’s new Community Response Team
“A bad fall can be the beginning of a long decline for seniors,” said Fred Paquet, battalion chief of EMS for Norfolk Fire-Rescue.
“The goal of this initiative is helping seniors avoid falls by reducing fall risks we identify and providing education they can use to make their own homes safer.”
Team members will visit seniors’ homes by request to conduct safety surveys. Fall risks include area rugs, ladders, bathtubs and showers with no grab handles, stairs with no railings, and the absence of night lights in bedrooms, hallways, and bathrooms.
“Falls can lead to premature death,” said Jay Collins, M.D., chief of trauma at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and professor of surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School. “A broken hip or brain injury from a fall can lead to multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation, with no guarantee of ever going home.”
“We want seniors to live longer, healthier, more independent lives in their own homes, and preventing falls is critical to meeting that goal.”
Norfolk Fire-Rescue has formed a Community Response Team with an assigned vehicle with special graphics to identify its purpose. Personnel have been trained to identify fall risks and suggest ways to mitigate them.
The Injury Prevention team at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital has provided brochures, grabber tools for safe reaching and other materials to inform residents of ways to stay safe in their homes.
“We excited to get this program underway,” said Chief Paquet. “Our goal is to have fewer fall patients to transport to the hospital, and that’s good for everybody.”
To request information or service, contact Norfolk Cares by calling (757) 664-6510 or using online or the My Norfolk Mobile App.
By: Dale Gauding