MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin has the highest rate in the nation of fatal falls among older adults.
According to the Department of Health Services (DHS), medics in the Badger State responded to nearly 131,000 falls last year alone. That’s nearly 24% more than in 2019. Most of those falls happened inside homes.
Bell Ambulance in Milwaukee is one of the many agencies responding to an increase in fall-related calls. According to the company, its medics responded to nearly 1,000 more fall emergencies in 2022 than they did in 2021.
Donnie James has worked for Bell Ambulance for nearly four years. He said his team responds to falls every day.
“It’s unfortunate, but it is a very, very common call we run,” James said. “If I were to work a 16- or 24-hour shift, I’m probably going on at least three or four fall calls, and that has just been the norm for a long time.”
New DHS data shows falls are the top injury EMS companies in Wisconsin respond to. Statewide, the number of falls EMS companies responded to has increased nearly 10,000 a year since 2019.
“Actually, seeing the numbers, it was pretty shocking,” James said.
It’s part of why the work never stops at Bell Ambulance’s training facility. It’s where cadets learn best practices, and how to work with various equipment to better assist people who need help.
“Because of the increase in the number of falls specifically, use of devices like this are very important,” said Paul Karp, an education specialist with Bell Ambulance. “We want to train with them frequently, because we want people comfortable using them.”
Karp said Bell Ambulance medics also are trained to recognize problem spots in people’s homes and share advice on how to prevent falls.
“Knowing that we have tools and training to help navigate those situations is better, but we still have a long way to go,” Karp said.
DHS reported that there are numerous reasons why Wisconsin sees so many falls among older adults. Icy winters, alcohol consumption, the population being older than the U.S. average and higher reporting on falls as the cause of death than other states are just some of the possible factors.