DERBY, Kan. (KSNW) — At 94 years old, Jack Gillipsie is filled with bits of wisdom.

He feels one is especially important: "You need to learn to age and protect yourself."

It's a lesson he learned by not using his walker.

"I said, 'Ehh, I don't need it.' So I went all around and was going up the walk into the bank and my face met concrete," Gillipsie said.

Falls are the leading cause of injuries for adults 65 and up, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reported that in 2020, 30% of older adults in Kansas fell.

It's a trend Derby Fire and Rescue noticed as well.

"Twenty-five percent of all the emergencies we respond to are falls involving older adults," Derby Fire Marshal Jonathan Marr said.

Marr said statistics show once an older adult falls, it's

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