State Honors Brimer For Falls Prevention Initiative
By Space Coast Daily // October 11, 2012
Senior Citizens Advocate
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Dr. Mark Brimer of the Brevard County Commission on Aging has been awarded the initial Florida Senior Falls Prevention Award.
The recognition is sponsored by the Florida Injury Prevention Program and the Florida Department of Health in conjunction with the Florida Senior Falls Prevention Coalition and is presented to an individual who has demonstrated commitment to Senior Falls Prevention.
In 2008, Brimer successfully launched The Elder Falls Prevention Program in conjunction with Brevard County Housing and Human Services Department and the Commission on Aging. It has become a primary initiative of Brevard County and also includes the cities of Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Rockledge, Palm Bay, Satellite Beach and Titusville.
The Elder Falls Prevention program is a unique opportunity for communities to work together to address this elder healthcare problem.
This program allows each municipality to customize the fall prevention topic to meet the specific needs of their community. Within each community, fire and emergency medical services can easily use the program and make operational adjustments based upon the housing and demographic needs of their community, Brimer said.
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Florida Council on Aging recognized the Brevard Commission on Aging as a state “Best Practice” model in Elder Falls Prevention, and in 2011, Brimer was inducted into the National Council on Aging – Falls Prevention “Hall of Fame” for the many contributions he has made to the field of falls prevention.
Brimer was nominated for this award, the first year of the Florida Elder Falls Prevention Award, on behalf of the Housing and Human Services Department and the Commission on Aging.
He is recognized as a leader in the state for Senior Falls Prevention Initiatives and is known as an advocate for seniors citizens and a leader in the cause that seniors should be able to age-in-place, in their homes “safely” for as long as they choose.
