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Agenda Item No. 5(D) EL CERRITO CITY COUNCIL PROCLAMATION Falls Prevention Awareness Week, September 22-28, 2013 WHEREAS, nearly 190,000 people, or 18 percent of Contra Costa County’s 1,049,000 population are age 60 or older and each year nationally, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls; and falls are the leading cause of injury death among seniors; and every 35 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall; and WHEREAS, falls are the most common cause of non-fatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma, causing injuries such as hip fractures and head traumas; and fall- related injury is one of the twenty most expensive medical conditions to treat; and WHEREAS, according to a 2010 report, almost half (49.3%) of Contra Costa County’s unintentional injury hospitalizations occurred among residents 65 years and older; and over three-quarters (75.9%) of these hospitalizations were due to falls; and WHEREAS, County residents 65 years and older had the highest unintentional injury hospitalizations in the county due to falls, followed by motor vehicle traffic accidents (13.5%) and poisonings and WHEREAS, falling and the fear of falling, can lead to depression, isolation, diminished mobility, and loss of functional independence and concentrated efforts are being made in Contra Costa County by the Fall Prevention Coalition to reduce falls and fall related injuries using multi-faceted interventions; and WHEREAS, Senate Concurrent Resolution SCR 77, dated May 28, 2008, declares the first week of fall each year as Fall Prevention Awareness Week in California, and the Federal Safety of Seniors Act of 2007 calls for the expansion of public health programs, educational outreach, and research activities related to fall prevention. NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of El Cerrito hereby proclaims the week of September 22 through 28, 2013 as “Fall Prevention Awareness Week,” in the City of El Cerrito, and calls upon all residents and interested groups to observe the week with appropriate activities that promote awareness of fall prevention. Dated: September 17, 2013 Gregory B. Lyman, Mayor