NEWS RELEASE

WASHINGTON — About a third of people who are 65 years of age and older will be involved in an accidental fall this year that diminishes their quality of life. That number increases the older a person gets.

“Falls are complex and happen for a variety of reasons,” said Rebecca Parker, MD, FACEP, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “But there are common steps that can be taken right now to greatly decrease your risk of falling for the first time, including those who have fallen multiple times.”

Emergency physicians have created a video designed to give people who have fallen in the past — especially the more vulnerable elderly population — easy steps to avoid future falls. It’s called the “7 Step Fall Challenge.” Emergency physicians are confident that by following these steps, you will greatly decrease your risk of falling, especially repeat falling.

Step 1: Strength and Balance

Focus on improving strength and balance by exercising regularly. Several options include Tai Chi, Yoga and other exercises that improve flexibility and endurance.

Step 2: Home Safety

Over half of falls occur in homes. Remove trip hazards, like boxes and furniture, from heavy traffic areas. Create a wide pathway between rooms.

Make sure loose carpets and rugs are secure and that cords are taped down or removed. Never stand on chairs or stools to reach for items. Install safety rails in bathrooms and night lights in hallways, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Step 3: Medication

Many medications can make you feel lightheaded, dizzy or sleepy, which can increase your risk of falling. If you have these side effects from certain medications, work with your doctor or pharmacist to find other options that might be available.

Step 4: Vision

As we age, our vision changes. It may become more difficult to see things. Get your eyes checked every year.

Step 5: Dehydration

Dehydration can lead to dizziness and confusion. Often, we don’t drink as much water as we need. Unless you are told otherwise by a doctor, try to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.

Step 6: Feet and Footwear

Supportive footwear is extremely important for preventing falls. Poor-fitting shoes, clogs, flip-flops and heels will increase your risk of falling.

Always wear supportive and comfortable shoes while walking. Talk to your doctor about seeing a podiatrist, or foot doctor, especially if you have decreased feeling in your feet from diabetes or other medical conditions.

Step 7: What to Do If You Fall

If you start to fall, try to relax your body to reduce the impact. Tuck your chin to protect your head and roll as you land to spread out the force of the fall. Stay calm and do not try to get up too quickly.

Always keep a mobile or cordless phone with emergency numbers within easy reach. If you’ve fallen before, talk to your doctor about getting a fall alert system. This is a bracelet or necklace that will alert local emergency medical services, or EMS, if you fall.

Once a person has fallen once, his or her risk of falling again is twice as high. For more information, please watch this video and share it with those you believe are at greatest risk of falling.

ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ehHhdoJ2k8

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Tim Huelskamp, Ph.D., a former three-term member of Congress and well-known national conservative leader, will become president of The Heartland Institute in July. He will succeed Heartland’s long-time president Joseph Bast, who co-founded the organization in 1984. Bast plans to remain at Heartland as CEO until some time in 2018.

Dr. Huelskamp was selected as president by The Heartland Institute Board of Directors after a months-long nationwide search. He will be relocating to the Chicago area.

“After a long and careful search, we’ve found the person who can take The Heartland Institute to the next level,” said Bast. “Dr. Huelskamp combines the characteristics of a scholar, elected official, and small businessman that make him the ideal person to lead one of the nation’s top think tanks. His dedication to free-market ideas and ‘heartland values’ means Heartland will be in good hands long into the future.”

“I am so honored and excited to join the Heartland team,” said Dr. Huelskamp. “As a former member of Congress and Kansas state senator, I can attest that The Heartland Institute is one of the preeminent free-market think tanks in the world. Since I have already been successful in driving innovative policies at both the state and federal level, I am confident that I can lead Heartland toward even greater success in promoting the cause of freedom in every state, and now in Washington, DC.”

As a Republican congressman from Kansas’ First Congressional District, Dr. Huelskamp pushed for conservative, free-market solutions in a wide range of policy arenas. He served on numerous committees, most notably the Veterans Affairs Committee and Budget Committee. On the Veterans Affairs Committee, he was a leader in exposing corruption and failures at the VA and pushing through a historic health care choice option for veterans.

Dr. Huelskamp left his conservative imprints on many policy areas Heartland works on: SNAP work requirements, Farm Bill entitlements, the EX-IM Bank, and the Cut-Cap-and-Balance legislation in 2011. He helped grow the House Freedom and Liberty Caucuses, chaired and expanded the Tea Party Caucus, fought the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule, worked on budgets in the Republican Study Committee, and co-founded Conversations with Conservatives, a monthly House conservative press availability.

“The Board of Directors of The Heartland Institute took seriously its charge to ensure our next president is a thought leader, as well as an experienced manager who can carry on existing programs and launch new ones in the months and years ahead,” said Herbert Walberg, chairman of the Heartland Institute Board of Directors. “Corporate successions are never easy, but we’re convinced Dr. Huelskamp has what it takes to be a great leader as well as sterling experience as a legislator. He has the unanimous support of the Board.”

Prior to being elected to Congress in 2011, Dr. Huelskamp served 14 years as a state senator representing the 38th District of Kansas. During that time he was a conservative leader on education reform and finance, Medicaid reform, tax cuts and fighting crony capitalism, defending marriage and family, downsizing government, fighting judicial tyranny, and spending transparency.

While serving in the Kansas Senate, Dr. Huelskamp chaired or co-chaired three committees: Elections and Local Government, Information Technology, and Medicaid Reform. He co-founded and led both a bicameral conservative caucus and a coalition of statewide conservative groups to coordinate legislative efforts.

Prior to serving in Congress, Dr. Huelskamp was a fifth-generation family farmer in Kansas, where he farmed with his family for more than 30 years. He left Kansas to earn a BA summa cum laude from the College of Santa Fe and a Ph.D. in political science from American University in Washington, DC.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University has closed its display of a rare stench-emitting “corpse flower” now that the plant has closed out its first-ever bloom.

An estimated 1,000 people turned out to see the Titan Arum from the time it began blooming Tuesday afternoon until it began withering Wednesday, when the display was halted.

Former Kansas State faculty members Ken and Janet Schroeder started the plant about 15 years ago.

High

89°

Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.

MANHATTAN — The Chapman Center for Rural Studies, in Kansas State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has received a $2,000 gift from the Kansas Association of the Future Farmers of America in recognition of the work undergraduate student researchers at the center are doing about rural life in Kansas.

As part of this work, Katherine Sundgren, a junior in history, Leonardville, is digitally preserving a collection, including newspaper clippings, that documents the history of the FFA back to 1928 in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the organization.

Chapman Center director Bonnie Lynn-Sherow, associate professor of history, was first made aware of the collection in the spring and decided that it was the perfect project for a summer intern.

“The history of the FFA is integral to both the history of Kansas agriculture and Kansas State University,” Lynn-Sherow said. “The collection highlights the work of young adults dedicated to agricultural leadership and whose stories feel simultaneously foreign and intimate to our current student interns.”

The Chapman Center provides undergraduates with hands-on training in valuable professional skills such as accessioning, digital preservation and even film editing.

The FFA hopes to make these digital resources openly available to the public through a web-based exhibit about the Kansas chapter.

“I was a part of my high school’s FFA program for four years,” Sundgren said. “It’s nice being able to help preserve a long tradition for future generations to enjoy the rich history that surrounds the FFA program. I’ve seen how important it is to many members of my community and I’m glad that my work here helps keep the tradition alive.”

“As we look forward to the 100th anniversary of FFA, the Kansas chapter is excited to partner with the Chapman Center for Rural Studies in collection and documentation of the rich history of agricultural education,” said Mary Kane, who is with the Kansas FFA Association.

The large collection includes hundreds of photos, handwritten and typewritten meeting notes, scrapbooks and even film reels that have not been seen for several decades.

“The partnership between Kansas FFA and the Chapman Center for Rural Studies is exciting as many of the foundational events of the association are due to the commitment of rural Kansas schools,” Kane said. “We are excited with the capacity of the center to make accessible the documents and archives of our history.”

The FFA’s partnership with the Chapman Center is the one of many digital projects the center is engaged in or has completed since 2007, including commercial collections, oral histories, museum collections, slide and film collections, postcard collections and several important family collections that Chapman students use in their published research.

“It’s definitely a win-win for everyone,” Lynn-Sherow said. “Organizations and individuals feel good about preserving the past, while our students gain an appreciation of our collective responsibility to share those stories. They learn to work with and rely on others for the greater good. I can’t imagine a better learning outcome than that.”