Blue Cross Takes a Stand Against Falls

BATON ROUGE – For older adults, falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries and emergency room visits. Every 19 minutes, someone age 65 or older dies from a fall, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is reminding everyone that falls can be a serious health risk, particularly for older adults, and is offering steps you can take to avoid falls. Fall Prevention Awareness Week is September 23-29, but these steps should be followed year-round.

Falls can cause broken bones, such as hip fractures, and head injuries. This not only affects people’s health, but also their overall quality of life and independence. People who are recovering from falls often feel isolated, helpless and depressed.

However, falls can be prevented, and there are steps people can take in their own homes to lower their risks of falling. In this video below, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana medical director Dr. Jeremy Wigginton shares his tips for preventing falls. These include:

• Watch out for objects on your floors that may cause falls, such as rugs and power cords. You may need to tape these down to avoid tripping on them.
• Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes, not loose or flip-flop style shoes.
• Exercise regularly, particularly as you get older, to keep up strength, balance and coordination. This is effective for lowering your risk of falling.

Blue Cross members who have acute injuries related to falls, as well as those who have serious illnesses or long-term health conditions, may be able to get health coaching and support from Blue Cross’ in-house clinical team of nurses, dietitians and social workers. Visit bcbsla.com/Stronger to learn more about Care Management programs and services.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. We invest both time and money in the communities we serve, supporting the health and wellbeing of Louisianians through more than 200 charitable organizations.

With our subsidiaries, HMO Louisiana and Southern National Life, we provide group and individual health insurance plans, life and disability insurance, group voluntary products and administrative services to one out of four Louisiana residents. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana also provides Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans and is a partner in offering the Healthy Blue Medicaid Managed care plan. Louisiana is the only state where we operate, with offices in every major region to serve our customers.

Founded in New Orleans in 1934, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is a tax-paying non-profit health insurer. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

To learn more, visit our website at bcbsla.com.