Tell me, is it Fall yet?

It sure is hard to tell what season it is when the thermometer is screaming “Summer” by persistently pushing up in the high 90’s but the calendar is saying “Fall” by pushing through the Fall Equinox. So what exactly is the Fall Equinox, anyway? According to Wikipedia, An equinox is commonly regarded as the instant of time when the plane (extended indefinitely in all directions) of Earth’s equator passes through the center of the Sun. This occurs twice each year: around 20 March and 23 September. In other words, it is the moment at which the center of the visible Sun is directly above the equator. The word is derived from the Latin from aequus (equal) and nox (night). On the day of an equinox, daytime and nighttime are of approximately equal duration all over the planet.

In our northern hemisphere, (apologies to you die-hard Southerners), the equinox in March is called the Vernal or Spring Equinox; the September equinox is called the Autumnal or Fall Equinox. In the southern hemisphere, the reverse is true. The dates are slightly variable due to leap years and other factors.

But the real cincher that its Fall is that my hunter son, David, was at the farm this weekend and harvested his first deer of the season (Archery season). He was out early Sunday morning, way before sun rise and it wasn’t long before I got a call from him asking for some help to bring the deer out of the woods and load it into his truck. Fresh venison is on the way!

Those of you who are long time readers of this column know that I usually take the occasion of impending Fall to remind us to be extra special careful regarding the seriousness of falls to us seniors. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: •One in four Americans aged 65+ falls each year. •Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. •Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. •Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. •In 2015, the total cost of fall injuries was $50 billion. Medicare and Medicaid shouldered 75% of these costs. Not mentioned in these statistics is the emotional cost and the resulting reduction in the quality of life. When a senior falls it naturally creates an activity-restricting fear that tends to “shrink their world” by reducing the activities and travel the senior is willing to explore. Falls are literally life-changing experiences for seniors and not in a good way. Visiting Angels ® offers a wonderful little brochure that gives common sense reminders on how to make your house more senior friendly by reducing the possibility of falls. Every time I read it I am reminded of things to do to make life a little safer at home. They may seem like little things but if they prevent even one fall it could be a life changer for your senior. Call Them at 478 971 1606 for a free copy. Here’s hoping the temperature falls a bit but you don’t so you can really enjoy the Fall Season!

Thanks for reading All About Seniors…..see you next week!

PS, Don’t forget our “Coffee Date” this Friday from 5-7 PM at Between Friends Coffee Shop, 1080 GA 96, Warner Robins, GA, 31088, Just East of Lake Joy Rd. See you there! Bill Milby is a Director of Visiting Angels® of Central Georgia, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsofCentralGA/