This bill became law on April 23rd, 2008 but is it properly funded? or is it being funded at all? While going through the legislature it had the support of the Home Safety Council and the National Council on Aging.

The bill authorizes new programs in four important areas of fall prevention among adults 65 and older:

1. The Safety of Senior Act begins its public education campaigns for older adults, family members and health care providers to reduce falls and prevent repeat falls.

2. The Safety of Senior Act supports scientific research that identifies older adults who are at a high risk of falling by designing, implementing and evaluating the most effective ways of preventing falls, improving the treatment and rehab of older adults who have fallen and examining obstacles to adopt proven fall prevention strategies.

3. The Safety of Senior Act authorizes federal demonstration programs to look into fall prevention strategies such as physical activity, medication assessment and home alterations, as well as developing technology to prevent falls.

4. The Safety of Senior Act studies the effects of falls on health care costs and will Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate the effect of falls on health care costs, the potential for minimizing falls and the most effective strategies for reducing health care costs associated with falls.

Let your congressman know that you would like funding for the Safety of Senior Act. Your parents or a loved one may depend on it one day.

As always, if you have a parent or loved one that you are concerned about their safety while living at home alone please remember MedFirst Alert medical alert systems. Call us toll free at 1-800-595-0718 or place your order online at MedFirstAlert.com

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