Each year, thousands of seniors are taken to hospital because of injuries sustained during a simple fall. Direct health care costs relating to falls among seniors are estimated at $1 billion every year, thus, reducing fall related injuries is a priority across Lower Mainland Health Authorities. Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM) researcher Dr. Fabio Feldman (Manager, Seniors Fall and Injury Prevention at Fraser Health) sees this collaboration and Falls Prevention Week as an opportunity to bring the CHHM Mobile Research Laboratory to a Fraser Health community to undertake research, educate, and provide insight into the evidence-based components of prevention.

On November 5th, 2010, CHHM members visited Elim Village in the Fraser region with the Mobile Research Laboratory. The day was a huge success with 27 bone density scans performed in the Mobile Lab and 19 mobility assessments conducted with residents from assisted living and independent living areas of Elim Village.

The bone and mobility research studies were conducted as part of a health promotion day at Elim Village, a collaboration between Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, and the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility. The day was arranged to mark the recent release of the new Canadian guidelines on osteoporosis. These studies are continuing in the Vancouver and Fraser regions in the coming month to assist in raising awareness about bone health and mobility and improving our knowledge regarding healthy physical aging.