Guarding Health, And Independence

"We really need to have public campaigns about fall-safety awareness. It's a top public health concern," said Jean Wyman, director of the Center for Gerontological Nursing at the University of Minnesota. "It's going to be a major cost to society if we don't do better in our prevention efforts. And I think the important issue to get across to people is falls are preventable."

Research, including Wyman's 2002-05 study of women ages 70 to 101 in Minnesota's Twin Cities, has found that relatively simple and inexpensive measures could prevent many falls, including moderate exercise, education and one-on-one home visits such as those Fairfax has started. Wyman's study found that such measures reduced the number of falls by 35 percent.

But experts say one of the biggest obstacles is complacency. Falling has long been the stuff of slapstick comedy, a fact of life so ordinary that it does not seem serious. Older Americans sometimes shy away from using a cane or walker, and they can be reluctant to admit falling for fear their adult children might reduce their independence.

"There is a big taboo about falling, and that's why we'd like it to be talked about more," said Dorothy Baker, a research scientist in geriatrics at Yale University School of Medicine.

So Edge, through seminars in churches and senior centers, has been offering home visits as part of an initiative to help people stay in their homes as long as possible.

Although her focus is mostly on preventing falls and fires, Edge also gets down to the nitty-gritty of her clients' daily routines, suggesting devices to make life easier: tableware with special handles that make it easier to grip, telephones with amplifiers and captioning screens, and portable food warmers that allow people to take their time eating without having to get up and reheat their food.

She also advises older residents about free exercise programs at houses of worship, along with free consultations with pharmacists at CVS.

Since its launch in January 2007, ElderLink's program has targeted parts of the county with high proportions of older residents, such as Rosehill and Franconia, while also spreading the word through homeowners associations.

Schools have allowed Edge to reach caregivers in the "sandwich generation" who are raising children and looking after aging parents at the same time. And although many tips are common sense, advocates said people need to be told, and often told more than once, to take even simple steps to prevent falls.

Before touring Sellevaag's home, Edge went over a list of questions about Sellevaag's history, medical condition and daily habits.

"I'm aware that I have to be careful," said Sellevaag, who lived for 77 years in Connecticut in the house her husband built until a nonmalignant brain tumor forced her to move in with her daughter, Linda, in Annandale. "My big concern is, I don't like to be alone. I guess that's because I'm aware I might fall."

Unexpectedly, Edge discovered something else: Linda Sellevaag, 60, also took a fall that could have seriously injured her. It occurred when her mother awoke in the night and called for help. In her haste, Linda bolted toward the stairs without turning on a light and fell down a few of them before catching her balance.