Challenged by the 1980 census figures predicting a 146 percent increase in Atlanta's population of 85-year-olds by the year 2000, Catholic Social Services, Inc. has begun a project to identify common injuries suffered by the elderly.

The Status of Health Support Team in DeKalb County awarded CSS a grant to gather information about injury risks to senior citizens. According to DeKalb County statistics, 826 fatal injuries to persons 55 years and older were reported in the decade between 1980 and 1990. These fatalities included injuries from falls, fire, choking, poisoning, suicide and homicide. This figure does not include injuries that did not directly cause death but may have contributed to it, such as a debilitating fall that resulted in pneumonia.

Larry Szuch, family specialist for Aging Family Services of CSS, will head the project and develop a plan to help prevent such injuries. The effort will bring together agencies, organizations, families and elderly adults from the DeKalb area to provide information for the study. Interested parties should contact Szuch at 404-885-7458.