Posted by
Roxanna M. on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 9:42:31 AM
The following could be a skit from Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately, it's all too tragically true.
I just read an article stating that the House of Representatives passed a bill intended to reduce the number of elderly people who fall down. That sounded rather frightening until further reading revealed that the bill is intended to reduce falls among the elderly, not the elderly themselves.
The Safety of Seniors Act was passed by the Senate in August and now that it has been passed by the House of Representatives, it will go to President Bush for signature. Hopefully, he will veto it. Why? Because it's nothing more than a money grab.
According to Leo Carey, vice president of government affairs for the National Safety Council, "This action is a strong signal that Congress not only recognizes that falls among older Americans are a growing public health concern but that Congress is committed to addressing this problem."
According to the Falls Free Coalition, a collection of nonprofit groups that pressed for the bill's passage, the legislation will develop "education strategies to raise awareness about elder falls, encourage research to identify at-risk populations, and support demonstration projects aimed at preventing falls among older Americans."
The Falls Free Coalition's Advocacy Work Group is led by the National Council on Aging, the National Safety Council, the Home Safety Council, AARP, the American Occupational Therapy Association, and the American Physical Therapy Association. No special interest groups there.
According to Patricia Adkins of the Home Safety Council, the next step is to "appropriate additional funding" for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's falls-prevention budget. Of course it is. "If we are to make a meaningful difference for older adults, we must communicate to Congress and the White House that more resources are needed to adopt programs that are working."
AARP Senior Vice President David Sloane said this: "Among the greatest financial challenges facing the U.S. government, its citizens and their employers is stemming the rising cost of healthcare services. Our 31 organizations, representing millions of older Americans, want to ensure sufficient funding for the CDC so that significant progress can be made to reduce the frequency and severity of falls among older Americans."
And just what constitutes "sufficient funding"? The Falls Free Coalition Advocacy Work Group and 25 other organizations called on Congress to add $20.7 million in Fiscal Year 2009 for the CDC to address the growing problem of falls among older Americans.
Grunt, grunt!
Is it really going to cost $20.7 million to tell people: don't stand up too fast; wear sensible shoes; watch your step; have adequate lighting; use a cane if you're unsteady on your feet; don't stand on things you shouldn't stand on to do things you probably shouldn't be doing in the first place; don't use a ladder while alone; if you get lightheaded, sit down until it passes. In other words, use common sense.
There, send me the $20.7 million.