SLU seeks to educate elderly on falling

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Saint Louis University will get more than $2.1 million in federal grant money over the next five years to help educate elderly people about falling and other common problems.

University officials say the money comes from the federal Health Resources & Services Administration.

SLU's director of geriatrics, Dr. John Morley, says that as baby boomers age, it is important to increase awareness about the differences in treating older people.

Morley says the most serious consequence of falling is breaking a hip. He says about four-fifths of elderly people who fracture a hip don't completely recover and about 30 percent die within the first year of injury.