Injury Prevention
Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults. More than 150,000 people die each year as a result of injuries from motor vehicle crashes, fires, drowning, falls, and poisonings (including suicide and homicide). With their established community relationships, local health departments (LHDs) play a crucial role in injury prevention efforts. More » 
Older adults are at disproportionate risk for sustaining injuries.1 Maltreatment, motor-vehicle accidents, and residential accidents such as fires are a few of the many causes of injuries among older adults. According to the CDC, the greatest risk of injury for this population is posed by falls, the leading cause of injury-related death for adults over the age of 65.2 Local health departments can work to help protect this population from injury through activities such as: educating the community about common risks of injury for older adults; connecting older adults with their communities to prevent self-neglect; and creating safe home environments for older adult residents. 1. CDC Injury Center: Injuries among Older Adults; http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/olderadults.htm. The Home Injury Prevention Program incorporates community awareness, focused education for behavioral change, and structural modifications of community dwellings to ensure seniors at risk can live safely in their homes. Targeting adults above the age of 60 years old, this program addresses fall related mortality/morbidity within older populations by building partnerships to create a network with community organizations currently involved in senior care, resulting in a county-wide falls prevention program. For more information on this program, click more. More » Injury Prevention Teleconference Series NACCHO and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials are sponsoring a monthly series of topical injury prevention teleconference seminars to highlight and address emerging issues in injury prevention. Following an overview, experts from state and local agencies share effective and innovative prevention efforts currently in use throughout the country. | ||||||||||||
