Balance screenings and fall prevention presentations are scheduled for the following weeks at four Knox County senior centers. All events are free and open to the public, but registration is required by calling 865-541-4500.

Seminar Schedule:

• Monday, September 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the South Knoxville Senior Center, 6729 Martel Lane
• Tuesday, September 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Karns Senior Center, 8042 Oak Ridge Highway
• Wednesday, September 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Carter Senior Center, 9040 Asheville Highway
• Thursday, September 24 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Halls Senior Center, 4405 Crippen Road

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 3 adults over 65 falls each year, but less than half talk to their health care providers about it. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries. In 2013, 2.5 million nonfatal falls among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 734,000 of these patients were hospitalized. That same year, the direct medical costs of falls, adjusted for inflation, were $34 billion.

KCHD convened the Senior Safety Task Force in 2008 to address concerns about falls in the older population. More information is available by calling Rachel Frazier at KCHD at 865-215-5175.