I learned early Thursday that my former sister-in-law, Joan Paglia, died in Florida after a fall at a nursing home where she lived. Although I had little contact with my ex-husband's family after my divorce, my children and I had fond memories of Joan from happier days. She is pictured above in the gown she wore at my wedding in 1958.
Joan was ill for many years and was cared for by her parents until they died and she had to move to a nursing facility. My ex-husband, who lives in California, told Audrey that Joan fell and suffered a concussion from which she did not recover.
In December, he reported that the wife of the best man at our wedding had died after a fall. In 1992, my mother was at Runnells Specialized Hospital after breaking a hip and broke the other one in a fall from a wheelchair, dying soon after.
These examples and others I have heard about recently make me very much aware of the danger posed to older people by falls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in three adults 65 and over will fall and incur injuries that can lead to early death. In memory of Joan, Mary and my mother, I would like to urge older people and their families to learn more about falls and their prevention. Click here for CDC information on this topic.
--Bernice
A coincidence...another blog that I read daily discussed exercise today, including fall prevention:
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