CSCS: Council of Senior Centers and Services of NYC, Inc.

Support Intro. 58 and "Keep Seniors Standing"

ACTION ALERT

March 12, 2004

Councilman Alan Gerson, introduced Intro. 58 in City Council, which would require landlords to install grab bars in bathtubs and shower stalls and next to toilets for elderly and disabled tenants. These grab bars are an important device for minimizing the potential injuries that may result when an elderly or disabled individual slips on the bathroom floor or entering or exiting the bathtub or shower. Based on our research, and consultation with experts in this field, we believe that all these areas pose potential safety hazards. It will also save the city money in health care costs.

• Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury death for people 65 and over. Of those who fall, 20%-30% suffer severe to moderate injuries.
• A shocking 25% of elderly who sustain a hip fracture die within 1 year of injury.
• In 1994 the average direct cost for all senior falls injuries was $20.2 billion and by 2020 that cost is expected to reach $32.4 billion.
• The current lack of an effective falls prevention program costs New York City more in health care, Medicaid, Medicare and related expenses than implementing such a program would cost.

Has your councilmember signed on?

Listed below are the names of those councilmembers who have signed on in support of the legislation. If your councilmember is not listed below, please contact him/her immediately with the message, "support intro. 58 and keep seniors standing!"

For more information, please contact:
Bobbie Sackman, Director of Public Policy at (212) 398-6565 ext. 226 or bsackman@cscs-ny.org
or
Raquel Romanick, Esq., Legal Advocate at (212) 398-6565 ext. 229 or rromanick@cscs-ny.org