As reported by the Senior News, the Safety of Seniors Act (S. 845) was introduced by Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), as well as Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Ralph Hall (R-TX) to “develop effective public and professional education strategies to raise awareness about elder falls, encourage research to identify at-risk populations, evaluate falls intervention and support demonstration projects aimed at prventing falls among older Americans.”  See, Senior News, Vol. 20, Issue 6, June 2008, p. 18.  Signed into law by President Bush, the Act “comes at a critical time when each year, one in three Americans age 65 and older falls.”  Id.  As reported in the article, “about 30% of those who fall require medical attention,” costing more than $19 billion annually to treat the effects of falls.”  Id.  That $19 billion number is projected to increase to $43.8 billion by 2020, according to the article.  Id.  The law is supposed to help keep millions of older Americans safe from falls-related injuries.  Id. 

According to a recent posting by HealthDay News, older Americans are “being injured during slips and falls on escalators at increasing rates.”  See, http://www.nlm.nih.gov , March 21, 2008.  Dr. Joseph O’Neil, an expert on injury prevention, was cited in the article saying that the “rate of injuries to older adults riding escalators more than doubled from 1991 to 2005.”  Id.  O’Neil and his colleagues published their findings in the March issue of the journal called Accident Analysis and Prevention.  Id.  As reflected in the HealthDay News posting, the trend may be related to changing lifestyles among older adults who are now more active at older ages.  Id.  In the study referenced in the posting, 8% of the injured were admitted to a hospital after evaluation in an emergency department. Id.  Interestingly, women accounted for more than 73% of escalator injuries.  Id.  Just as interesting is the study’s showing that stepping on and off the escalator accounted for 14% of the slips, trips and falls, meaning a lot of injuries occurred while the person was on the escalator.  Id.  Suggestions to prevent escalator injuries to the elderly included not looking down at moving steps, focusing on objects ahead of you and not looking side-to-side at displays.  Id.

ConsumerAffairs.com reported that Americans 65 and over are increasingly “at risk of product-related injuries in or around the home.”  See, “Edlerly Injuries Rise Dramatically,” http://www.consumeraffairs.com , 2/15/05.  Citing a report published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Safety Council (NSC), the article stated that, in 2002, more than 1.45 million Americans 65 years and older went to hospital emergency rooms as a result of consumer product-related injuries.  Id.  According to the article, people 75 years of age and older are twice as likely as adults 65 to 74 to have emrgency room-treated injuries from consumer products.  Id.  Falls appear to be the leading cause of unintentional injuries at home.  Id.  The article also said that more than 15,000 Americans 65 years of age and older died as a result of unintentional injuries in the home.  Id.  For more information see http://www.consumeraffairs.com

The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) is a national resource center dedicated to the prevention of elder mistreatment.  The NCEA provides resources to families and has a website which can be located at http://www.ncea.aoa.gov on the internet.  The NCEA mailing address is NCEA c/o Center for Community Research and Services, University of Delaware, 297 Graham Hall, Newark, DE 19716.  The telephone number is (302)831-3525.

Dr. Carmel Dyer, the Director of the Texas Elder Abuse and Mistreatment Institute, told those attending a May, 2007 American Geriatric Society symposium that the incidence of elder neglect and abuse is rising but only one in five cases is recognized.  See, AGS News, “Rising Rates of Elder Mistreatment,” Vol. 38 AGS News No. 3, Third Qtr. 2007, http://www.americangeriatrics.org .  According to the publication, types of elder mistreatment include self neglect, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, passive neglect, confinement and sexual abuse.  Id.  The abuse can take different forms, including physical violence, as well as neglecting to provide, for example, basic hygiene or adequate hydration.  Id.  The article also stated that roughly 30% of nursing homes in the United States were cited for nearly 9,000 instances of elder abuse during 1999 and 2000 alone.  Id.  Sources quoted in the article urged advocacy for change that reduces the incidence of elder mistreatment in long term care.  Id.

According to a a news article describing a lawsuit filed as a result of the death of a 62 year old woman, caretakers for the elderly lady essentially starved her.  See, http://www.morningnewsonline.com , 3/15/08, article by Patricia Burkett.  In the lawsuit, claims are made against several people and agencies, alleging they were responsible for checking up on the deceased but failed to do so.  Id.  According to the lawsuit, State Department of Social Services workers had been in the home at least 11 times in the 75 days before discovery but did nothing about her condition.  Id.