Jane & I both had mothers that lived to the age of 92 and passed away in recent years. Jane’s father is 91 and lives in Fishers. Dealing with accidental falls i comes with age.
Our parents did experience falls that required us to call on our local emergency services and the Fishers crews did a wonderful job. Jane & I did everything we could to prevent such falls, but they sometimes happened despite our best efforts.
The City of Fishers has announced a $30,000 Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for their new Fishers Fall Prevention Program. If you have elderly relatives, or you yourself are up in age, this is a program that can be of major assistance to you and your family.
Accident falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury in adults 65 and older. One in four older adults report falling each year. Fishers residents 65 and older are eligible to apply for Fishers’ new program to receive free support which includes home visits, fall prevention education, assistance with necessary in-home modifications, and referrals to community partners as needed.
“Falls in the home are the leading cause of injury in Fishers,” said Division Chief Joe Harding from the Fishers Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ EMS Division in a city news release. “For several years, our first responders have recognized that these are often preventable events, but we lacked resources to assist the individual. Last year our Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) team collaborated with the Fishers Health Department to provide in-home assessment and intervention, which launched the new Fishers Fall Prevention Program. We quickly identified that there was a lack of funding for low- or fixed-income residents to purchase or install mobility devices on their own. These grant dollars will help us close the gap and help to keep our residents safe in their own homes.”
Local departments will work together alongside organizations such as the Shepherd Center of Hamilton County and Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County to identify residents in need of financial support. Residents interested in learning more about the Fall Prevention Program can contact the Fishers Health Department Social Work program at 317-463-4361 or email socialwork@fishers.in.us for more information.