Falls and insurance – in “End of Life Issues” series on Oct. 14

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. October 6, 2017 – Falls pose huge health risks for older adults: One in three adults aged 65 and older falls each year; women face far greater risk than men; a fall can cost more than $35,000 in hospital bills on average; falls are linked to a 40 percent higher incidence of automobile wrecks; and the broken bones and head injuries that result from falls can permanently alter a senior’s independence, research shows.

A free seminar at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, explains the consequences of falls and how to prevent them. It also offers information on Medicare insurance programs available. The seminar is at Peace Lutheran Church, 828 W. Main St., near downtown Grass Valley.

Karen Marinovich, of the Falls Prevention Coalition of Nevada County, and Carolyn Washington, of Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP), will offer information and take questions from the audience.

They are part of a five-part series exploring “End of Life Issues,” hosted by Peace’s Contemporary Issues Study Group.

On all days, the program starts at 9 a.m. with coffee and light snacks in the Old Fellowship Hall at Peace Lutheran Church. Speakers start at 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit www.PeaceLutheranGV.org or call (530) 273-9631.

Additional topics coming up in Peace’s “End of Life” series include:

• Oct. 21: Funeral planning and hospice care. Speakers: Debbie Prisk Olsen of Hooper & Weaver Mortuary Inc.; and Carolynn Peterson, executive director of Hospice of the Foothills.
• Oct. 28: Right to Die – Medical, ethical, spiritual and legal issues of California’s new law allowing people in certain circumstances to receive medication to end their lives. Speaker: Dylan Hendricks, lawyer.
• Nov. 4: Small group discussions on concerns regarding end of life and death.