Rep. Callton offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 354.

            A resolution to encourage the adoption of a frequent, functional, instrumentation-based, report-driven, and objective functional balance assessment program in senior living community risk management and resident safety programs to reduce the risk and episodes of falls in seniors.

            Whereas, Seniors have an approximately a 1 in 3 chance of experiencing falls every year in the home and senior living community dwellings. Senior citizens aged 65 and older statistically face a high risk of falls. Falls can result in catastrophic injuries, loss of independence, increased health cost and greater burden on family/healthcare systems. The direct U.S. health care cost for fatal falls was $179 million this past year with non-fatal falls costing $19 billion in 2000, $30 billion in 2010, and projected to reach $54.9 billion by 2020. It is projected that the costs to Medicare associated with hip fractures following a fall will exceed $240 billion in 2040; and

            Whereas, Innovative balance assessment instrumentation and technology with analytic performance reports has been developed to objectively identify the risk of falls, and the severity of functional balance dysfunction through weight shifting patterns driven by upper body movement. This technology facilitates evidence-based recommendations to decrease the risk of falls through skilled restorative care or through the inclusion of compensatory/adaptive methods; and

Whereas, A fall-related safety score can be calculated for senior living independent/assisted living communities by using statistical data to analyze the incidents of falls in those who are screened for balance dysfunction on a regularly scheduled interval and provided educational reports and tools to decrease their risk throughout the year; and

Whereas, Utilization of objective fall-risk analytics and balance dysfunction screening can contribute to a drastic reduction in falls and fall-related injuries to the U.S. health care system. Providing this service will assist in promoting a culture of resident/patient centered care and preventive health management; now, therefore, be it.

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we strongly encourage the adoption of a frequent, functional, instrumentation-based, report-driven, and objective functional balance assessment programs in senior living community risk management and resident safety programming to address and mitigate the rising costs associated with and prevalence of falls; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, and all bodies conducting health care facilities accreditation in Michigan.