Palmer Man, 83, Dies from Fall at Home
A Palmer Township man died this week as a result of a fall at his home, according to the Lehigh County coroner.
An 83-year-old Palmer Township man died as a result of an accidental fall at his home at 72 Moor Drive, according to the Lehigh County coroner.
Raymond Bassinger was pronounced dead at 7:59 a.m. Thursday at St. Luke's University Hospital, Fountain Hill. Bassinger broke his leg when he fell, the coroner said in a news release.
Among older adults (those 65 or older), falls are the leading cause of injury death, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC says of fall-related deaths:
- The death rates from falls among older men and women have risen sharply over the past decade.
- In 2009, about 20,400 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries.
- Men are more likely than women to die from a fall. After taking age into account, the fall death rate in 2009 was 34 percent higher for men than for women.
- Older whites are 2.4 times more likely to die from falls as their black counterparts.
