Every five hours in Hawaii, a senior suffers a fall serious enough to require hospitalization.

The state health department has declared this senior fall prevention awareness month.

Falls and fall-related injuries hurt our Kupuna - but they also impact the community at large.

From the Injury prevention program, Stan Michaels says,"In the state of hawaii, last year alone, over forty million dollars just for the doctor and their visit to ER. That doesn't even count long-term hospitalization or any rehab they have to have."

The Department of Health's Injury Prevention Program is initiating an awareness campaign stressing fall prevention.

"Seniors are very rarely aware that they have aged and a lot of processes that go on in their life change, including their balance, stability."

Seniors may be taking multiple medications, the combination of which could make them dizzy. Pharmacists at safeway, times, costco and KTA Superstores will check those medications - for free.

"They might have more than one doctor, but their pharmacist can take a look at everything. They've all got a special primer that we've supplied them with to let them know what to look for. So that's happening on neighbor islands and locally at all 44 stores."

There are other factors that might cause a senior to fall.

"They might not have had their vision checked recently. Balance is always an issue the older you get, maybe they've got a lot of clutter laying around their house. Every single one of those things can contribute to a fall and it's a very serious injury once you reach a certain age."

The awareness campaign gets underway tomorrow. Then at the senior fair good life expo on the 19th, physical therapists will be on hand to help seniors determine how likely they are to fall.

"We'll have a team there, three PT's all day long and we'll be doing a special balance to check their balance, their stability, how they walk, how they get up and down easily."

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