MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — At least 25 percent of adults age 65 or older report an injury from falling each year — the leading cause of injury for seniors — and it’s increasing, according to the CDC.

A nonprofit in Manatee County has seen the increase locally and aims to educate its residents on how to prevent a bad fall.

Every morning, Teresa Alford gets her body moving.

“I think it’s very important because it keeps the body limber and keeps it moving. And that’s the most important thing that your body needs — continuous movement,” she said.

She knows just how important staying fit is, as a few weeks ago, she fell while she was alone.

“I got up on my step stool, as I do to help me, and then to this big bed,” Alford said. “And then I put my left foot on the side of the bed, which is wide, as you can see. And then I sat down. The problem was, I guess, in my sleepy state, I misjudged and didn’t go in far enough and ended up sliding down back and fell. So that one was, yes, scary.”

It scared Alford, but it wasn’t the first time she’s fallen. A year ago, when she was rearranging patio furniture, she also fell and had no one to help her.

“I went and I could not get up by myself,” she said. “And I thought, what am I going to do? What a predicament. And I actually kind of laughed at myself. And these villas are so soundproof that, you know, it really didn’t help to call out for help.”

She avoided a major injury — both falls just left her sore — but she’s worried the next one could be worse.

“Since I’ve had that fall, you start thinking more about falls and how vulnerable you are,” she said.

That’s why she’s attending the Falls Prevention EXPO hosted by The Manatee County Falls Prevention Coalition.

Megan Hawkins is the president of the coalition, and the trauma prevention and injury coordinator at HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton. She says falls have increased since the pandemic.

“Our local trauma center, where we see trauma patients, more than 50 percent of the traumatic injuries seen at that hospital are related to falls in our aging community. So 65 years and older. That’s an alarming number. You know, the CDC says that one in three people in our senior population will fall each year,” she said.

Alford is retired, but she is on several boards of organizations which keep her busy. To continue doing the work she loves, she is doing everything she can to prevent another fall.

“I stay very busy,” she said. “I mean, as busy as I can, because if I’m not busy, there’s too much of a tendency to sit down and turn on the TV and not get up, which is the worst thing.”

Alford is staying active not just for her mind but also to keep her body agile and strong.

The Falls Prevention EXPO will be held on Jan. 23 at Manatee Technical Insitute on State Road 70. The event runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.