Trauma Awareness: Be aware. Be safe.

 

UHS would like to remind you to be safe and be aware of safety hazards in your home, workplace and car. Car crashes, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires and falls are the most common causes of injury. UHS offers the In Balance Fall Prevention Program to support independence and to reduce the risk of falling and fall-related injuries by teaching how to maintain healthy balance as you age.

 

The leading causes of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are:

-       Falls (35.2%)

-       Motor vehicle – traffic (17.3%)

-       Struck by objects (16.5%)

-       Assaults (10%)  

 

Children and adults 65+ have a higher risk of injury.

 

Children
-       Suffocation and poisoning death rates are on the rise.
-       1 in 5 children die due to an injury.
-       Every 4 seconds, a child is treated in the ER for an injury.  

Adults 65+
-       1 in 3 adults, age 65 and older fall and sustain injury.
-       Falls are the leading cause of injury death, i.e. head traumas and broken bones.
-       Decreased activity rate leads to reduced mobility & loss of physical fitness which increases falling risk.  

Car Safety
-       Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death ages 5-34 in the United States.
-       Alcohol impaired drivers cause 1 in 3 crashes, resulting in fatalities.
-       Seat belt use is the most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries.
-       Avoid texting and talking on the phone while driving.  

PREVENTION WORKS!
-       Seat belts have saved an estimated 255,000 lives between 1975 and 2008.
-       School-based programs to prevent violence have cut violent behavior among high school students by 29%.
-       Sobriety checkpoints have been shown to cut alcohol-related crashes and deaths by about 20%.
-       Tai chi and other exercise programs for older adults have been shown to reduce falls by as much as half among participants.

 

For more information visit www.uhs.net.