As people get older, most say they want to age in their own homes and communities. But that’s not always easy to do.

Health and balance issues can get in the way. In fact, falls are the leading cause of injury — and injury-related death — for older adults.

“We're responding to a call about a fall every day, among our older population,” said Michael Tarbell, CEO of Regional Ambulance Service in Rutland.

For people who live alone, he said response time can make all the difference.

“We've been there where people have been on the floor for days and they get hypothermic because they've been laying on the floor,” said Tarbell. “So something that was simple, that they just couldn't get up, becomes a life threat because now they're hypothermic, they haven't been taking their medications for

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