OSHKOSH, Wi. (WBAY) - Wisconsin has one of the highest rates of death from falling in the nation. In fact, the state Department of Health Services reports Wisconsins rate is twice the national average.

Its just so incredibly disproportionate that out of the 8500 responses that the Oshkosh Fire Department does a year, 1500 to 1700 of those a year are for falls, said Oshkosh Fire Chief Michael Stanley. So very, very alarming statistics.

Oshkosh Fire Chief Michael Stanley says last year in Winnebago County 61 people died from falls, and through October this year there's been 45 deaths.

It's absolutely heartbreaking because you know once someone starts to fall, the falls generally get progressively worse to the point that they break a hip. You know, they break a hip they have to go into some type of facility, many times they'll develop pneumonia and a large percentage of those folks will die, said Stanley. So you know we see this rapid downward progression of the people were not able to have the independence and enjoy the lifestyle that they had.

Theres so many different factors when it comes to falls, said Winnebago County Public Health Nurse Erin Roberts.

Roberts says vision issues, hearing issues, diet, exercise, and even side effects from medications can all be contributing factors to a fall.

The problem is people dont always report their falls to their doctor.

I think people are afraid that somebody's going to come into their house and tell them that they can't be there anymore, said Roberts. But in reality, our whole purpose is to teach you prevention and teach you how not to fall.

People are scared or ashamed to talk about falls, said Jennifer Skolaski. So that's probably going to be another thing that comes out is how we have to normalize falls or at least normalize asking for help.

Skolaski is facilitating community listening sessions around Oshkosh, asking people what they think contributes to the problem. The sessions are part of a collaborative effort funded by the Basic Needs Giving Partnership.

It's obviously a concern for community, and people care about it and want to do something about it, said Skolaski.

The listening sessions are kept anonymous so people feel more open to share their stories. The information gathered at those sessions will be brought back to a number of city and county groups that are working together to figure out how to tackle the problem.

"Our hope is to figure out why people are falling and then how do we get them to utilize those resources that are out there," said Roberts.

We want to have a strategic plan for us all to use the same playbook to make sure that we're moving forward as a group to reduce this risk in our community, said Stanley.

The final public listening session will be held on Nov. 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the YMCA at 324 Washington Avenue in Oshkosh. There will also be an online survey sent out by the city of Oshkosh. People can also contact seniors@canpl.com for more information on the survey.

Some of the organizations involved in the fall prevention effort include: Evergreen Retirement Community, City of Oshkosh Fire Department, Rebuilding Together Fox Valley, Oshkosh Seniors Center, Winnebago County Health Department, Finding Balance Together, Wellness Plus, City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County Housing Authority, ADRC, Miravida Living, and the YMCA.

Read more:
Winnebago Co. groups looking into fall prevention, 61 deaths from falls in 2018 - WBAY