Injury Prevention
Jackson County has a high rate of accidental injury and death, which is a problem we need to address together.
Our team focuses on several key areas, including fall prevention among older adults, teaching kids to make safe choices to prevent injuries, and training community members to recognize the warning signs of suicide and take action to save a life.
Read below to learn more about what Jackson County Public Health is doing to reduce injuries among residents of all ages in Jackson County!
Fall Prevention for Older Adults
Jackson County Public Health partners with the ADRC of Jackson County on programming to reduce the number of falls among older adults in Jackson County. Many people assume falling is just something that happens as one gets older, but falling is not considered a normal part of aging. There are many steps older adults can take to reduce their risk of falling, in order to be able to remain independent as one ages.
Jackson County Public Health staff do educational presentations throughout the year to older adults to help reduce the risk of falls. Watch the Jackson County Public Health Facebook pages for upcoming events and presentations.
We also offer Stepping On, a 7-week fall prevention class from the Wisconsin Institute of Healthy Aging. This evidence-based class has been researched and proved to decrease falls by 31%. Fewer falls mean fewer injuries, fewer visits to the emergency room, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer deaths due to a fall. Call the ADRC of Jackson County at 715-284-3978 to find out about upcoming Stepping On classes.
Stepping On is a fall prevention program that brings together the life experience of its participants with the expertise of community professionals. Participants learn balance and strength exercises and also hear from a variety of guest experts on topics including home fall hazards, vision, medication management, sleep, and other topics to help reduce your risk of falling.
Youth injury prevention
Jackson County Public Health is part of the Safe Kids Coalition, focusing on injury prevention for youth in Jackson County. From promoting bike helmets and life jackets, to educating youth on sports concussion, and teaching kids to walk and bike safely around town, we are busy helping youth learn to make positive choices!
QPR suicide Prevention
In partnership with Together for Jackson County Kids, Jackson County Public Health teaches the QPR Suicide Prevention curriculum in our community. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer, and empowers individuals to ask the question and help guide individuals on the path of a mental health crisis to the necessary help they need.
This course is also taught to all 9th grade students in Jackson County, as well as adult community members through courses organized by employers and community groups.
To request QPR be taught at your organization, please use the button below:
988 suicide and crisis lifeline
If you or someone you know needs support right now, call or text 988 or chat at 988Lifeline.org.
988 connects you with a trained crisis counselor who can help.
