Archived News Releases

December 15, 2005

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Strategy will Educate Seniors on Maintaining Healthy Bones And Preventing Falls: Oswald

Healthy Living Minister Theresa Oswald, minister responsible for seniors, announced today the Manitoba government is investing $430,000 to build awareness and develop practices that support good bone health throughout life and reduce falls among seniors.

"Falls cost our health-care system $256 million a year and seniors account for $164 million of that amount," said Oswald. "Preventing fractures and falls will improve the quality of life and independence for seniors living in the province and provide significant cost savings to the province's health-care system."

The new strategy to prevent falls and promote strong healthy bones, part of the province's wait-time reduction plan, includes:

• developing a seniors' fall prevention program;
• developing provincial bone health/osteoporosis prevention strategies;
• partnering with community groups to develop strategies to implement awareness building and exercise/active-living programs;
• linking to and promoting existing active-living initiatives, such as in motion, that have an older adults component and target seniors' mobility and balance programming; and
• linking to Healthy Schools to develop strategies to target adolescents.

"This is a serious health issue and the Manitoba government is putting significant resources in place to decrease the number of falls by seniors," said Oswald. "I encourage Manitoba seniors to focus on ways to prevent falls in their homes and communities."

Some of the results that are expected as a result of this initiative include:

• an improvement in wait times because fewer individuals will require surgery or joint replacement if they have stronger bones;
• fewer fractures and falls, thereby improving the quality of life and independence of older Manitobans; and
• significant cost savings to the health-care system resulting from fewer hospital beds and personal care home beds being used because of fall injuries.

Oswald noted the importance of developing good practices that support good bone health throughout life.

"Whether you're a teenager, in mid-life or a senior, a calcium-rich diet and being active every day are two factors that help develop and maintain good bone strength," said Oswald. "See your doctor, a dietitian or nutritionist for information on other factors that affect the health of your bones."

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Bone Health and Falls Prevention Backgrounder

• Falls are the leading cause of injury hospitalization in Manitoba and are estimated to cost Manitoba over $256 million annually in direct health-care costs. Seniors' falls make up the majority of these costs at $164 million in direct treatment. 
• Regional health authorities have identified seniors' falls as a leading cause of injury and have identified reduction targets ranging between five and 10 per cent by 2010.
• Osteoporosis is the primary cause for deterioration of bone health in Canada. Osteoporosis is a widespread disease, largely caused by insufficient dietary calcium intake during childhood and young adult years, where bones become thin and brittle, resulting in a high risk for bone fractures. It currently affects more than 1.4 million Canadians and causes 70 to 90 per cent of the almost
  30,000 hip fractures in Canada each year.
• Forty per cent of women over 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture of the wrist, hip or spine. Complications from osteoporosis fractures kill more women each year than cancer of the breast, uterus and ovaries combined and osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of loss of independence in the elderly.
• Due to the country's aging population, the number of hip fractures is expected to quadruple by the year 2030.
• At more than $1.9 billion, the direct costs of osteoporosis are similar to the direct costs of treating diabetes, stroke or obesity-related illnesses.
• Without effective action on osteoporosis prevention and treatment strategies, it is estimated by 2018, Canada will spend at least $32.5 billion treating osteoporosis fractures.
• The majority of osteoporotic fractures can be prevented through appropriate diet, lifestyle and pharmacological management.
• The leading cause of seniors' falls is tripping, slipping or stumbling, often caused by stairs, slippery surfaces and obstructions.