Lee County continues to lead the state in death rates due to falls among counties over 250,000 people, according to the newest statewide statistics. Last year, 94 people in Lee County died from falls, and falls remain the leading cause of accidental deaths in the county.

In recognition of the National Fall Prevention Awareness Day on September 23 and National Balance Awareness Week Sept. 20-24, members of the Step WiseLee program and the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition are offering free educational programs to provide tips for preventing falls and improving balance.

The following free educational programs begin at noon.

The Balance Clinic at Lee Center for Rehabilitation & Wellness, at 2070 Carrell Rd in Fort Myers. Space is limited. Call 239-418-2000 to register.

Monday, Sept. 20 “Better Balance” Learn about factors affecting balance and ways to test and improve your own balance skills.

Thursday, Sept. 23 “Farewell to Falls” Learn about the most effective ways to minimize the risk of falls and how to get help after a fall.

Friday, Sept. 24 “Demystifying Dizziness” Learn about the different types of dizziness, how to discuss your dizziness symptoms with your health care providers and how therapy can help.

In addition, members of the Step WiseLee program will be at Dunbar High School, 3800 East Edison Ave. in Fort Myers for a free seminar:

Saturday, Sept. 25, – 8 a.m. to noon Experts on balance and falls prevention will present information on preventing falls in the home and community.

Because of the high death rate, a campaign to prevent falls, appropriately named “Step WiseLee,” was launched in September 2009. The initiative calls on local health care agencies, residents, family and friends to work together to prevent falls and fall-related injuries and deaths in Lee County.

In addition to the Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition, members of the “Step WiseLee” partnership include the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida, Lee County Health Department, Lee County Public Safety EMS and Lee Memorial Health System.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), falls occur more often in senior adults and are the leading cause of injury deaths in persons over. However, falls are not a normal, natural part of aging, CDC officials said.

The CDC suggests the following key steps to reduce the risk of falls:

Begin a regular exercise program

Make homes safer by clearing walkways and hallways

Get annual vision check-ups

Have your health provider review your medications

To schedule a guest speaker, end a request to info@stepwiselee.com. For more information on how to prevent falls and fall-related injuries and deaths, visit www.stepwiselee.com.

The Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition has been working to prevent injuries in Lee County since 1995 under the auspices of the Lee County Health Department. Today the group is composed of more than 80 different health and safety agencies and experts. The coalition is a multi-disciplinary cooperative of private and public partners that include fire and rescue agencies, emergency medical services, law enforcement agencies, hospital outreach programs, health agencies, and public and private schools. This strong partnership provides increased resources, efficiency and consistent delivery of unified safety messages to the public. For more information, visit www.stepwiselee.org, said David Kainrad, a spokesman with Lee3 County Injury Prevention Coalition.